Dont Let Me Go
by xLoveKeepsUsKindx
Summary: NILEY. When Miley's best friend turns against her and her mom dies, Miley loses direction. She's lost and feels lonely. With the help of her other best friend Demi she tries to get back on her feet. When unexpected help comes from the new guy in town she doesn't know what to think so she pushes him away. But he won't leave her until she's happy again.
1. Prologue

**This is a story that I started on YouTube but decided to put on FanFiction so I could write it more detailed. I had to change the last names just in case. Sorry of there are any mistakes!**

**Prologue**

"And when he laughed at you? Come on Miley! He's not worth it!" Selena said while she was lying on her best friend's bed on her stomach, looking at Miley sympathetically. Miley played with her fingers and looked up at her "Urgg… I think you're right…" She grabbed a pillow from her bed and threw it at Selena "I hate it when you're right" Selena slightly glared at her when she took the pillow of her head before looking at her with hopeful eyes "I'm always right! So you're coming to the party with me and Joe then? Pretty, pretty please? With a cherry on top" She asked popping the 'p'. Miley rolled her eyes, knowing that she couldn't say no to her best friend so she gave in "Fine. I'm gonna hop in the shower then, don't try to break something" She rose up from her chair and made her way out of her room. "Hey! That was only one time okay? Well maybe 4, but who cares?" Selena waved her comment of and skipped over to Miley's closet excited for tonight. "And I am going to pick out your clothes" She looked trough her dresses while humming along with a song that was playing from Miley's laptop "Awe, this is so cute" She took the dress out of the closet and held it in front of her as she walked to the mirror "Amazing!" She grabbed her bag and stuffed it in her bag "She won't mind if I borrow it" She mumbled to herself before walking back to Miley's closet, trying to find the perfect dress for her best friend to wear.

Miley was standing in the middle of the living room or the dance floor in this case, as people were pushing against her and a guy that she met only a few minutes ago was pulling her close to him. She threw her head back as she could feel his lips leave a trail of wet kisses on her neck. She couldn't really say she was enjoying it because she was getting dizzy because of his breathe that smelled a lot like alcohol. She slowly pushed him away and stumbled her way over to the couch with a drink in her hand that she grabbed along the way. She looked down at her feet and she could feel her eyes getting heavy. When she looked up she saw Selena waving at her as she was dancing with a girl from the cheerleading squad. Miley smiled at her slightly and waved back, grabbing another cup out of the hand from someone who walked by.

Joe who was standing on the other side of the room, pushed his way trough the crowd to get to Miley. He shook his head and grabbed the cup out of her hand with a smirk playing on his face "Okee, maybe you shouldn't drink that one" Miley let out a deep sigh and tried to grab the cup out of his hand, whining "Joee, give it back to me jerk" He chuckled slightly at her fail attempt of getting the cup back or for a matter a fact getting of the couch really without tripping over her own feet. He took a sip of the drink he just grabbed from her, while looking at her slightly amused "You're pretty wasted Miley, you should go home" She concentrated on her feet as she steadied her hands on each side of herself, pushing herself of the couch "I don't want to! And stop being so overprotective Joe! I can take care of myself!" She stumbled away from him, disappearing again in the crowd of pushing, sweaty, horny teenagers. Joe rubbed his chin worried as he watched her walk away, he quickly looked around and found his girlfriend, walking over to her "Hey, I'm gonna take Miley home, she drank a little too much. I'll be right back okay?" Selena looked around to find Miley but with no success "Oh, okay. I'll see you soon" She pecked his lips and smiled brightly at him, happy that they're getting along so well "You're a great friend for her Joe" He smiled back at her and shrugged his shoulders lightly before running out to find Miley

"Hey! You're going home, come on" He picked her up in bridal style and walked out of the mansion with her. She hit him furiously on his chest "Joe, I am telling you, you are so annoying and-" Then her voice turned serious in an instant. Joe didn't really know what was going on so he just frowned at her "Put me down. Joe, put me down NOW" He put her down when she tried to wiggle out of his arms and he stepped back as soon as she threw up on the sidewalk and looked at it in disgust when she was done "Now you can take me home" She mumbled and stumbled further towards a car. Joe sighed deeply and pulled her back by her arm when she walked the wrong way "Miley, that's not my car" She puckered her lips as she looked at the car "Right" She walked to the left and got pulled back again by him. She looked at him getting quit annoyed now "What now asshole?" He pointed over to the right "That way smart ass"

…

"Okay, here you are" He put her down on her bed, scrunching his nose by the smell of the alcohol "You should go to sleep Miley" She nodded and sighed deeply, releasing her arms around his neck as she looked at him with difficulty "Thank you" She slurred and she wasn't seeing clear. He sighed as he realized that someone had put something in her drink. He looked down at her and saw that her blouse was open, revealing her cleavage and a little piece of her bra. He licked his lips unconsciously as he couldn't help but take his eyes off of her. She focused her eyes on him as she noticed that he didn't leave yet "Joe-" Before she could finish of her sentence she got cut of by Joe who was kissing her roughly, he hovered above her and moved his hands to her skirt pulling it down.

Even though Miley was drugged she was still a bit conscious, meaning that she knew what was going on would break her best friend's heart to pieces. She brought her hands to his chest and tried to pull him away "Selena" She mumbled tiredly, she just wanted to sleep and forget about the whole break up and this whole night. He ignored what she said and kissed her neck softly moving his lips down to her chest, tearing her blouse of and placing wet kisses on her chest. She moaned loudly, grabbing the sheets underneath her "Stop it!" She chocked out difficult. "Shhh…" He shushed her and placed butterfly kisses on her stomach, before looking up at her smiling "You look really hot tonight" He thought, why not throw some of his charm in the game? He moved his hands to the hem of her panties. Miley tried to push him away again, feeling absolutely restless. She wanted him to back off and leave her alone, sadly enough her vision was turning even more blurry. The last thing she saw was a devilish smirk on Joe's face.

…

Demi moved away from the phone and coughed before putting her phone on her ear again "So how was the party last night? What made you go?" Miley was sitting on home looking out of the window as tears were filling her eyes "Something happened last night Demi…" Demi sat up immediately when she noticed that she was upset "What happened hunny? Are you okay?" Then she heard the most heartbreaking sound of her best friend bursting out in tears. "I got drunk yesterday so Joe drove me home but something happened… I woke up half naked"

"Oh My God! Miley what did he do to you? Does Selena know?"

Miley shook her head immediately "I don't know what he did Demi! And how am I supposed to tell Selena? She's one of my best friends"

"You just need to be honest with her okay? Call her up and ask her to come over and explain it to her, okay? And talk to Joe about what happened"

She nodded slowly but then she realized that Demi can't see it so she whispered "Yes" wiping her tears away and she sniffed. "Call me afterwards okay sweetie? I'm here for you"

"Thank you, bye" She hung up and tried to calm herself down before dialing Selena's number with shaking hands. She had to erase the number a few times before she could actually call. She knew that something was going to happen because the truth was going to come out. She just prayed to God that she wouldn't lose her best friend

…

Selena stormed into Joe's bedroom pissed off. Miley had called her about a half hour ago, she was crying and completely freaking out. Selena got worried about her and since Miley refused to tell what was going on trough the phone she immediately got in the car to go to her best friend. She used the spare key that she got from her a few years ago and she ran up the stairs, almost tripping over her bag that was slowly slipping of her shoulder with every hurried step she took on the stair, when she finally got into Miley's room she pulled her in her arms and rocked them from side to side. At that time she didn't know yet why her best friend was crying so she kept soothing her "Is it your mom? Is everything okay with her? Should I take you to the hospital" Selena asked trying to get some answers out of her. Miley finally seemed to calm down a little bit and she looked up at Selena with her big bright blue eyes. Selena sighed and wiped the remaining tears away "Come on sweetie, tell me what's wrong…" She listened closely as Miley finally told her what was going on, in some kind of daze she softly pushed Miley away from her and got up from her bed. Tears had started to form in her eyes and she walked to Miley's bedroom door with big steps, not before turning back to look at her with a bewildered look in her eyes. Selena shook her head and raced down the stairs as fast as she went up to it a few minutes ago. She slammed the front door shut behind her and took place in her convertible, making her way over to her boyfriend's house.

So here she was, breathing heavily and with tears streaming down her cheeks "You lying, cheating ass bastard that you are! Why would you do that to me? With my best friend" Joe closed his eyes tightly immediately knowing the reason for her tears, but he recovered quickly. He opened his eyes again and looked at her frowning deciding to play dumb "What are you talking about Selena?" He paused the game he was playing on his Playstation and he got of his chair, walking over to her. She cried harder "Don't… don't do that to me Joe! I just came back from Miley's place! I can't believe you hooked up with her Joe! That's low, even for you!" She shouted at his face before turning around to walk away, she couldn't handle with this right now. This has to be her biggest heart break, it might sound pathetic to some people because she was only sixteen and they've been together for 5 months but she really, really loved him. Joe grabbed her by her arm to pull her back around, knowing that if he would let her walk people would find out and turn against him. He has a reputation to maintain and to be honest, he wasn't in his right mind when… _the thing_ happened with Miley. "Selena, listen to me!" Selena slapped him hard across the face and he released his grip on her arm "Don't touch me Joseph"

"I didn't hook up with her, Selena, I swear, I wouldn't do that to you. I brought her home when she suddenly started to undress herself and she jumped on me! I pushed her away and told her that I have you… Baby, you have to believe me" He took her silence as a chance to get in her head, he placed his hands on each of her arms and rubbed them lightly. She calmed down a little by his touch and she wiped her tears away, speaking up after a few minutes of silence "You're not lying to me now. Are you?" He shook his head and cupped her face, he won, he won and he knew it, he knew the second that she had looked him in the eyes without the hesitate in them "I would never Selena, I love you" Okay, maybe that wasn't entirely true, but he would… eventually. He hoped at least. He really does like the girl. He was a player before they actually started to date. She was a pain in the ass and the only girl that didn't seem to like him and that was exactly what attracted him to her. But, Selena wasn't the only one he liked. It's just that he knows that the other girl doesn't like him back so he took his chance with Selena and now because of what happened he has to make the best out of it, for both of their sakes.

She looked at him smiling slightly, feeling her heart beat faster by what he just said to her. She has been waiting for weeks for him to tell her that and now that he did she couldn't explain how happy it made her feel "You do?" He smiled back at her, sincerely "I Love you Selena Marie" He kisses her passionately

…

Miley took a deep breath before opening the school doors afraid to face her best friend, or ex best friend by now. She knows what she did is stupid, she hardly remembers anything and Joe wouldn't pick up his phone so they could talk about it. After Selena had stormed out of her house she hasn't heard anything from her. As she walked down the hall she heard people calling her names. Selena smirked satisfied when she saw Miley walk in and almost everyone was calling her a whore or a slut or looking at her disgusted. She had formed such deep hatred towards her that she even surprised herself. But what Miley did, was very low, pretend that she was drugged and say that Joe practically raped her. She narrowed her eyes a little feeling a wave of hesitation rush trough her body, but then again… Miley wouldn't do something like that in a million years, would she? Selena didn't know anymore, it was like she didn't even know her best friend. Ever since Miley started to go out with that older guy she has changed a lot and they would barely hang out. Selena stood straight as she decided that Miley Stewart was dead to her. Miley did it to herself, she turned her back against her when she started to date the older guy and then she threw herself at Selena's boyfriend.

Miley stopped walking in front of Selena and looked around uncomfortable before looking at her, she didn't really know what to say or do "Selena, why is everyone looking at me like that?" She stepped forward and slapped her hard "You said that Joe did something to you, but you threw your pathetic self at him. Really Miley, why would a guy like Joe choose for a girl like you when he already has some one like me" She pointed at herself and an evil smirk played on her face. She was done with being sweet to her. Miley looked at her with teary eyes as realization struck her that she didn't believe her "What? No, you don't understand. Joe actually did-" Selena stepped closer to her "Zip it Stewart, before I break your face and for your information… We're not friends anymore" She flipped her hair and grabbed Joe's hand who had just walked up "Come on baby, thank you for warning me for a fake friend" She kissed him roughly and pulled him with her as she strutted her way down the hallway. Miley held on tightly to her books as she cried silently while everyone was yelling and laughing at her, she was feeling humiliated and deeply hurt. Selena wasn't the type of girl to be that mean. She wondered what happened, maybe Joe told her something that led her doing this.

Demi just got into school still feeling a little sick but she was tired of sitting at home. When she looked up she saw everyone laughing at Miley so she walked towards her confused and concerned, wondering what was going on "Miley" She pushed herself trough the crowd with effort, she kept her eyes on Miley who was looking as miserable as ever. Miley's phone just rang and she thought about letting it ring but it could be the hospital so she picked up trying to sound calm "Hello" After she heard the news that they told her she let her phone fall on the ground and she broke down crying even more. She was right, it was the hospital. Demi just reached her and fell on her knees next to her "Miley? Miley what happened sweetie?" She grabbed a hold of Demi's sweater and held on for dear life while she cried in her chest "My mom, she's gone" She looked up with a tear stained face, she saw that Demi had also start crying "She lost the battle"


	2. Defending

**So here's the first chapter of Don't Let Me Go. As I already said, this story was originally on YouTube but I've edited a few things so it's a bit different and it would mean the world if you guys could comment on it again. Sorry if there are any mistakes, this one is a tad shorter then the prologue. I hope you guys like it! Oh yeah and Nate = Nick, just so you know!**

**Chapter 1**

Miley took a deep breath before walking into school, only to see people staring at her and being disgusted by her. She shrugged it of because that is what she has learned to do. The whole thing with Selena and Joe has been almost a year ago now and people were still looking at her as if she's the schools slut. High School is a hell hole, but she was glad that it was coming to an end in about a year. She let out a sigh as she was yearning for that day that she would throw her hat in the air, get in her car up to College, leaving everything behind like she was never even there.

Miley made her way over to her locker and she saw Demi standing there. She stopped dead in her tracks and chewed on her bottom lip softly deciding if she was either going to her locker now or later. It's not that she doesn't want to see her or talk to her, she does, it's just that it has been such a long time since they had a proper conversation really. This got awkward between them and Miley was the one to make it that way and she knew that. Demi hasn't done anything but trying her hardest to get her best friend back, with no luck. Miley grabbed the band of her bag tightly before dragging her feet over to her locker, looking down before opening her locker. Demi smiled slightly at her former best friend. She had seen her standing in the middle of the hallway debating to either go to her locker or not. She has been doing that for months and Demi still couldn't quit understand why. Although Miley couldn't see it herself, she could. She could still see the remains of who Miley really is and she missed that girl, a lot. "Hey Miley" She opened her locker and pulled out the book that she needed, trying to start a conversation just like every other day. Miley cleared her throat since her voice was raspy and whispered a soft "Haai" She didn't take her eyes of her locker, pretending to look for a book.

Demi sighed and also looked back into her locker only to come face to face to an old picture of her and Miley. A small smile grew on her face and she grabbed the photo out of her locker and gave it to Miley "Remember this? We were happy back then weren't we?" Miley got tears in her eyes by seeing that photo. They got ice cream all over our faces and their smiles were so big. It seemed such a long time ago. She nodded quickly at Demi and looked at her, knowing which way she was going with this. "You need to know that only the time has changed, I'm still here for you Miley. Stop pushing me away" Demi whispered softly with sincerity clearly audible in her voice. Miley tried very hard to keep her tears in but she felt how one slipped over her cheek slowly. She looked down at the picture and the tear dropped on it. She sniffed and looked at Demi again with a small smile, returning the picture. Demi eyes saddened and she grabbed the picture putting it back in her locker "I miss my best friend" She threw a quickly look at her before closing her locker and walking away from her. Miley took a deep breath and picked out the book that she needed for her first period. She closed her locker and looked down as she walked away from it. Soon her body collided with the ground below her and she already knew what time it was.

Selena looked at her perfectly manicured nails and then she grinned at Miley, you could say that ever since they stopped being friends Selena's inner brat showed up again. "Oh I'm so sorry, I had no idea you were walking there" She exclaimed very loudly so everyone in the hall just had to look at them. Miley looked down at her things scattered all over the ground and she cursed Selena under her breath. She tried to keep her temper, Miley normally isn't a aggressive girl but ever since Selena turned against her she couldn't help but small her into lockers a few times. The only reason why she stopped using violence was because she refused to sink down to her level and of course because of Joe. You see, he's a lot stronger than Miley. The three broken ribs that she got because of him proofed her that. So she just took a deep breath to calm herself down and she tried to stand up but got pushed down to the ground again. Selena's boyfriend also known as the asshole, who raped her, laughed at her and bended down to get face to face with her "Where are you going? We're not done yet" He said right in her face and a crowd started to form around them by this time.

Demi heard a commotion so she looked back and saw that a crowd was forming around something. She stopped walking when she realized that this scenery had happened a thousand times before so her eyes immediately searched for Miley. She let her eyes scan to her locker and when she couldn't find her she knew that Selena had gotten a hold of her, _again_. "Shit, shit, shit, shit" She quickly ran towards her locker and pushed herself trough the crowd knowing that Miley was standing in the middle of it "Move Slutlena" Selena gasped at Demi's words and looked at her with shocked eyes, _how dare she?_ "What did you say?" Demi rolled her eyes and grinned a little "Don't be so surprised, it's the truth isn't it?" She looked away from her and wanted to bend down to Miley's level. Miley looked up at Demi as tears were streaming down her cheeks, when she suddenly got pulled up harshly by Joe "Hey!" She shrieked and she tried to get herself free but he only tightened his grip on her arm and he smirked at Demi "You're such a party pooper Torres. We were just having some fun"

She stepped closer to them and clenched her fist, feeling the rage work up her body "Back of Joseph" He tightened his grip even more, letting a whimper escape Miley's lips which made him smirk satisfied "Or what Demetria?" He spitted out her name like she was trash. Selena was staring at them very amused with the cheerleaders surrounding her. Demi smiled sarcastic at Joe and stepped closer, she wasn't going to hold herself in. Not now, not this time "Or this" First she was going for it to slap him but she changed her mind along the way. Because right at that moment, the only thing that was on her mind, was to ruin the _'pretty boy's'_ face. So she balled her hand into a fist again and hit him right on his nose, the crowd that was surrounding them turned dead silent. Joe moved his hands to his nose and he let go of Miley immediately, feeling the pain burn. He chuckled at her without humor since he was clearly not amused anymore "You're going to regret this" Miley looked up at Demi with big eyes before standing up and running away from all of them

"Who do you think you are to hit my boyfriend" Selena shrieked with the fake high pitched voice she had. She raised her hand to slap Demi but Demi grabbed Selena's wrist and smiled sympathetically at her "Oh I'm sorry. I just thought I'd spare you the time since it wasn't going to hit me anyway. And to answer your question, Demi Torres, it was my pleasure, _princess_" Demi spoke with venom and she let go of Selena's wrist and bowed for her. When she stood straight again he smiled sarcastic at Joe and grabbed her bag from the ground walking to the direction where Miley went in to. Selena was fuming with hatred and almost ran after Demi to tackle her but she got stopped by Joe. He licked his lips and wrapped his arm around her shoulder "Let her go babe, she'll deal with the consequences later"

...

Miley ran in to the girls' bathroom and opened a stall locking the door behind her and breaking out in tears. She wrapped my arms around herself trying to keep herself together, just one more year in this hell hole. One more year and she wouldn't have to see any of these bastards ever again. She heard the bell ring and she knew that she was late for class, _again_. She wiped her tears away after a few minutes of trying to calm herself down and she walked out of the stall slowly, she looked at herself in the mirror and noticed her red puffy eyes. She splashed some water on her face and cleaned it with the sleeve of the oversized sweater she was wearing. She made her way out of the rest room and walked back to her locker where her bag was still lying on the ground with all of her stuff scattered around it, she picked them up and made her way over to class.

She stood in front of the class room for quit a while. She wanted to skip school so bad. Selena and Joe were getting to her after all those months of torturing her and she was also getting sick of tired of having Demi step up for her every time, getting her in trouble also. You have no idea how many times Demi ended up by the principal because she shoved Selena to the ground, pulled her hair, accidentally smashed her head in the lockers, tripped her only to protect Miley. The upside of it all was that she didn't show any fear towards Joe or whatsoever. And with that in mind Miley opened the door and walked in, getting greeted by her not so happy teacher Miss. Aniston

"Miley, you're late. What a surprise! Why this time?" Sarcasm was dripping of her words and Miley swallowed a lump down her throat before opening her mouth to say something when she felt a presence behind her who talked for her "She helped me find my way too class. I'm new so I got lost" He put his hand on Miley's shoulder and smiled down at her. Miley shrugged his hand of as she took a look at him, he was taller than her, not much really but he still towered above her. He had a soft face with friendly deep brown eyes and a bed of curls lied on his head perfectly. Miley tore her gaze away from him when she caught herself staring and suddenly the floor seemed to be much more interesting. "Ah! You're the new student Nathan right?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets and smiled at the teacher after he was done analyzing Miley "I prefer Nate" She smiled slightly and nodded, her look softened at Miley "You both can go take a seat now." Miley nodded quickly and walked to her usual spot at the back, where to her surprise, Demi was sitting now. But today she didn't mind, because she decided that she was going to try to mend this friendship. It was the only thing she had and she really needed a good thing in her life now. She sat down next to her and turned to her "Thank you… For being there for me" Demi could sense that Miley approached her differently than usual so she hugged her sideways with a smile on her face "Anytime and besides, I always wanted to hit Joe" Miley snickered and grabbed her books out of her bag and tried to concentrate on what the teacher was saying. Her eyes wandered to this Nate guy but she shook my head and turned her attention back to the board.

…

Miley gathered her things and threw them in her bag when the bell had rung. She got up from her chair and waited for Demi to get all her stuff when Nate walked up to her, flashing a charming smile at both Miley and Demi. He pointed at Miley and held his hand out for her to shake "Miley right?" He asked politely "I'm Nate" She nodded shortly and ignored his hand since she saw Selena glaring at her from the corner of her eye. She forced out a short smile towards Nate before walking past him and out of the classroom as fast as she could. Demi sighed at Miley's behavior and she shook his hand "I'm Demi" She eyed Selena and glared at her "What are you looking at?" Selena huffed but quickly made her way out of the class with her pose. Demi looked back at Nate again with a warm smile "Welcome to our… not so amazing school" She laughed a little and he chuckled along with her "Can I give you some advice?" She started to walk out of class and he nodded as he walked out with her "Sure"

"Stay away from Selena and Joe" She pointed at them as they were making out on the other side of the hallway. Nate looked at them and he scrunched his nose in disgust, he didn't have anything against PDA but he could already tell that they were doing it for attention. "I don't think that will be so hard to do" Demi grinned at him and she stopped walking in front of Miley but still talking to him "Do you need help finding your class?" Nate smiled brightly at her and he was happy that there was already someone who he thought was nice "That would be awesome" His eyes moved to Miley and he could feel the vibe that screamed that she doesn't want him there, he frowned a little by himself wondering what he had done to piss her of like that. "I don't want to bother…" He added quickly as he kept looking at Miley, trying to figure her out.

Demi linked her arm with Miley's and smiled down at her warmly before smiling back at Nate "You're not bothering, let me see your schedule" He took his eyes away from Miley and he opened his backpack, taking out his schedule and handing it over "Here you go" She scanned her eyes over it quickly and found what she was looking for "Ah, follow us" She gave him his schedule back and started to walk him to his class in silence "Here you are" She spoke up softly while she was also trying to figure out what was going trough Miley's mind. "Thank you Demi" He wanted to walk in but he turned around and looked at Miley "Bye Miley. Oh and because I probably got you out of detention you owe me a lunch" She looked up at him in surprise but she recovered quickly, finding his attempt of… whatever the hell it was, quit pathetic. She let go of Demi's arm and glared daggers at him "I don't owe you anything" She turned around on her heel and quickly made her way over to her own class, leaving Demi and Nate staring down at her in surprise. "I- I'm sorry about, that" Demi apologized and she ran her fingers trough her hair "I hope you have a nice first day" With that Demi also turned around and walked over to class.


	3. Unease

**Chapter 2**

**Hello guys, this chapter is really short compared to the others but that's because I originally wrote this in a way so it could all fit in one episode on a YouTube video's. I promise that the chapter will get longer. Oh and sorry if I wrote **_Nick_** somewhere instead of **_Nate_**. I kind of forgot that his name is Nate in this story. So I had to change it quickly. **

**Thank you **_lovesislouder27dd_** for the story alert and favorite author alert, it means the world to me!**

_Smilexlaugh _**also for the story alert and **_kyky awesome_** for the favorite story. And of course xxiluvnileynjoejxx for all the amazing comments. I Love you Ana. Thank you all so much!**

"So he completely freaked out, he has no idea what to do with a kid" Demi breathed out while she was shaking her head laughing "And it was just my little brother, I mean, he's 7" Miley laughed a little at Demi's story as they were walking out of the school building after their last period "I can't believe he actually came over. For how long did he stay?" She asked a little unsure, not really knowing if their 'old' friendship was still there, if they could still talk about things openly. Demi stopped at her car and smiled brightly at her "He stayed for 2 weeks" She spoke proudly and in adoration about her boyfriend who's from England. "I was dying to tell you but…" Her voice slowly trailed of and she was afraid that she had ruined it now. She didn't mean it in a way that she was blaming Miley that their friendship faded away. Maybe she gave Miley way too much space too, but still. Miley cleared her throat and looked up at her friend "Hey, are yo doing something now?" Demi's smile grew back on her face almost immediately, she's been waiting for this day for so long and she was happy that it came sooner that she expected "Nope, you want to come over?" Miley nodded shyly since they haven't hung out in more than 5 months "I would like that" She looked down smiling a little but when she looked up she saw Selena standing behind Demi "De-" She tired to warn her but it was already to late

"Hey bitch" Selena turned Demi around and hit her right in her face "How does that feel huh?" She smirked and turned around walking away, swaying her hips while she did. Miley recognized the angry look that formed in Demi's eyes "Demi, let's just go… Don't…" Demi swung her bag of her shoulder and dropped it on the ground "Watch my bag" She made a run for it and tackled Selena from behind. Miley gasped and covered her mouth as she saw Demi and Selena fight. She also dropped her bag and ran towards them "Hey, get of her!" She grabbed Selena arm and was pulling her away when she got pulled back by Joe. He shook his head at her "Always getting into other people's business Stewart, you should really stop doing so." She was struggling to get out of his grip "Let me go asshole" He chuckled very amused, Demi had ruined his day after she hit him, but knowing that he regained the power over the situation again felt great "So the cry baby can also talk? Would you look at that" He said to his friends who were laughing at them all.

Nate was just getting out of school a little tired, it was his first day and he was already behind. He walked up the parking lot and was about to get in his car when he heard a scream. He looked around to see what was going on. He saw Selena and Demi in a fist fight and Joe grabbing Miley. He dropped his bag on the ground and slammed his car door shut, fuming with anger. The thing that made him even more irritated was that no one seemed to do something about it, they were all just staring. People like that disgust him. He walked up and pushed Selena of Demi making her bump into Joe, he had to be careful that he wouldn't push her too hard. "Watch your girl friend Jonas. And let Miley go" Joe glared at him dangerously "And who the fuck are you?" Nate wasn't in it for that crap so he got right to the point, he stepped closer to him "Let her go" Joe smirked when he realized what triggered him. It was Miley. He laughed a little manic and looked down at Miley "I think I'm going to keep her"

Nate laughed a little sarcastic and without humor, he turned away from him trying to come up with something else instead of hitting him, but he just couldn't contain himself "Big mistake" He turned back to him and punched him in the face. He got a hold of Miley before she could fall on the ground and he quickly grabbed Demi's hand. He grabbed their bags from the ground and led then to his car and they all got in. He started the car and backed out of his parking space and made his way of the parking lot. On the way they saw Selena patting Joe's back because his nose was bleeding (once again) but she jumped back when he looked up at her, making the blood fly on to her cheerleading costume.

Miley sat in the backseat and she looked at Demi who was sitting in the passenger seat "Are you okay?" She whispered quietly. Demi grinned at Miley, but she rubbed her arm where Selena had scratched her with her long fake nails "I'm fine, don't worry. It's just Selena even a 4 year old could win from her" Nate snickered at that comment and he shrugged his shoulder lightly "It did look like you were winning" After that, the ride was silent. He didn't know where they live and he didn't really bother to ask so he pulled up in his driveway. Demi grabbed her bag and climbed out of the car and looked at the mansion in front of her "This is where you live?" She looked over at Nate impressed and surprised, he wasn't like those stuck up rich kids at school and he has a pretty awesome vintage Mustang, also not really rich kid material. He shrugged his shoulders "Yup" He smiled a little at Miley and walked to his door to open it "Come on in" Miley looked at him hesitating but when she saw Demi walking in she walked in too quickly, not wanting to be left behind. They were standing in a big white hall with two staircases leading upstairs. Both Demi and Miley were looking around in amazement. Nate chuckled a little at their reaction "Do you guys want a drink?" He said as he was walking towards the kitchen. Demi walked after him, leaving Miley in the hall "A cola please?"

Miley was still looking around the huge hall in amazement and she saw a lot of pictures, she stared at them, wondering who the persons are and what their story is. Nate walked up to her a few minutes later and handed her a glass of cola "Demi thought you might wanted Cola" She looked around when she noticed that they were alone, she swallowed a lump down her throat "Where is she?" He frowned a little at the slight panic that hit her eyes when she noticed Demi wasn't there. "She needed to use the bathroom" He took a sip of his drink, still looking at her. She nodded slowly and she calmed herself down, thinking by herself that she's being pathetic. She looked back at the pictures and saw a very beautiful woman, recognizing a few things that Nate also had so she figured it was his mother "Your mom is really pretty" She smiled up at him. Nate smiled down at her as he looked into her eyes, getting lost in them "Thank you" Demi just came out of the bathroom and smiled when she saw her best friend and her new friend staring at each other. It wasn't just staring, there was something else, something deeper.

…

Demi walked back into the living room after she just got of the phone a few hours later and she looked at her friends "Okee I got to go, I forgot that I had to pick up my little brother and since my car is still at school I got to walk so yeah, bye guys" She grabbed her jacket and bag and walked out. "Wait, I can drive you if you wa-" Nate started but he already heard the front door close. Miley looked over at Nick with big eyes, since they were alone now "I should-"

"Do you want to stay and watch a movie?" He blurted out, his cheeks turned rosy as he looked at her waiting for her answer. Miley sighed a little and when she looked at him she knew that she couldn't say no to him "Sure" He smiled widely and got up from the couch "Great, follow me" He grabbed her hand when he saw that she was still a bit hesitant and led them to the basement what turned out to be a home cinema. She looked around amazed "This is so awesome. Your whole house is awesome by the way" She smiled slightly at him and let go of his hand slowly feeling a little uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck "Uhm… yeah I'll be right back" He said before he walked out but he was back within a minute with a lot of DVD's in his hands "You can pick" He lied them down on the ground so she could pick it out. She hovered above the DVD's and puckered her lips in a cute way before she pointed to 'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon'. She looked up at Nate when he didn't do anything and she found him staring at him "Uhm… Nate?" He shook his head a little as he pushed his thoughts aside. He grinned at her movie choice and he grabbed the other films to put them away again "What? No chick flick?" Miley giggled a little and smiled "No, I'm more from the action packed movies" She caught herself by surprise. She was giggling and smiling and she hasn't talked this much in a day in a long time. Her smile faded slowly as Nate walked out to put the other movies back. He was changing her, already. But she doesn't know if she's ready for that, if she's ready to leave her comfort zone.

When Nate walked back in he noticed her sad face and her distant eyes "Are you okay?" Miley snapped out of her thoughts and nodded slowly "Yeah, I was just… thinking, that's all" She forced out a small smile and sat down on a chair getting comfortable on it. Nate sat down on the chair next to her and started the movie.

_What am I doing here?_ She thought to herself. She glanced over at Nate as she started to feel more uncomfortable by the minute. She got up from the chair abruptly "I'm sorry" She mumbled quickly before running out of the basement and up the stairs. She just wanted to get her things and disappear. She grabbed her bag from the ground and opened the front door when she found out it was raining "Great, just great" She screamed out sarcastic, she pulled up her hood over her head and she ran out in the pouring rain. Nate just caught up with her at that moment "Hey, I'm sorry, what did I do?" He looked at her confused but also concerned. She shook her head and tried to push him out of her way. "Miley?" He leaned down a little so he could see her face "Are you crying?" She sniffed and finally looked up at him "Nate, don't do this…" she whispered. "Do what?" "This, inviting me over, saving me, being nice to me, just don't. I don't need your sympathy okay?" She brushed past him and ran down his driveway, to the street and disappearing out if Nate's sight, letting him stand there on his driveway in the pouring rain.


	4. Weakness

**Hey guys, here****'s the third chapter of **_Don't Let Me Go_**. It's longer than the other one as I promised. And it's a pretty quick update, don't you think? Anyways, thankt you **_cookie118_** and **_SieSieShannie_** for putting my story on **_Story Alert_** and thank you **_MissQueenyB_** and **_xxiluvnileynjoejxx_** for reviewing. It all means so much to me so thank you lots!**

**Chapter 3 **

Miley threw her bag to the ground and fell down on her knees in front of her mother's grave. Tears were streaming down her face rapidly as memories where coming back into her mind

_Miley was about to leave for a party with Selena, they were stoked because Selena was positive that Joe was finally going to ask her out. She rolled her eyes at that, it was about time. The two of them have been acting all coupley and such but nothing ever happened so she was glad for her best friend, ecstatic even. Now they could go on double dates with her and Riley (her boyfriend) "Come on Sel" Miley swung the door open of her bedroom and looked back at her best friend who was still applying some make up "I'll be right there" She said as she put her make up down and grabbed the ear rings that she was going to wear. Miley was a very impatient person so she rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh "I'll wait in the car" She let the door open and made her way down the stairs, stopping halfway when she heard 3 simple but yet such affecting words coming out of her mother's mouth "I have cancer" She stepped down the stairs a little more and she saw her father's expression. He was confused, he didn't understand what was going on, what she was saying and neither did Miley. He was about to say something in return when Selena stormed down the stairs and almost bumped into Miley "Hey, I thought you were waiting in the car" She looked at her with a small frown on her face. "Uhmm… needed to check my hair first" Miley answered almost immediately and she finished of the stairs meeting up with her parents "We'll be home on time" she kissed both of their cheeks and gave an extra long hug to her mom._

"I don't get why everybody hates me so much…" She screamed, she pulled up her knees and buried her head in them. She was getting tired of herself, tired of hiding her feelings. "But maybe I do, cause right now… I pretty much hate me too" She looked at the stone in front of her, but she soon looked away quickly because she didn't want to have that haunting thing on her mind the whole time. Then she caught a shovel in the corner of her eye. And she rose from the muddy floor and walked to the shovel grabbing it. She let it shuffle in her hand a little before she walked back to her mother's stone. "Why did you leave?" She hit the stone extremely hard. "Why couldn't you stay?" She hit it several times before dropping it on the floor, looking at the damage.

_Miley was smiling widely was she was playing the piano like it was a piece of cake. She had always been intrigued by music and the day that her mom and dad got her a piano for her birthday just did it all. She looked away from the keys and looked at her mom that was sitting opposite of her, playing on her own piano. Her father Greg had made a music room for them, 4 guitars on the walls, 2 electric and two acoustic. The piano's in the middle of the room, the white one was from Miley and the black one that was against it was from her mom. They always played their song together, just like they were doing right now. _

_It was then when she caught something in her mother's eyes so her smile made place for a frown "Are you okay mom?" Rachel shook her head and stopped playing "I'm sorry hunny, I'm so sorry but I just can't play today. My hands hurt" She looked up at her daughter as she was rubbing her hands, tears were streaming down her face. She knew this day would come, the day that things would just stop functioning, that she was going to grow tired and that she wasn't able to do things. Miley had also stopped playing and she was now staring at her, not knowing what to say or do. She never saw her mom like that. For the first time her mom looked like she was actually dying "Are you tired? Should I bring you to bed?" She whispered quietly while she listened to her mother's tears. She didn't do anything. She just kept staring as her own tears started to form in her eyes. Rachel nodded slowly and wiped her tears away with the sleeve of the cardigan she was wearing. "Come on, I'll bring you" Greg walked inside the room and ruffled Miley's hair before helping Rachel of her chair and slowly walking away with her. And when the door closed behind Miley… she cried._

She couldn't believe it, she could believe herself. She couldn't believe that she was actually blaming her mom for getting that horrible disease while there was nothing she could do about it. Her mom fought okay? She fought for her life to stay with them and this is the way that Miley is thanking her. She felt disgusted with herself "I…" She ran her fingers trough her wet, sticky hair, pulling on it, trying to feel something else then the disgust "I don't see any reason for trying or for talking…" She took a deep breath and wiped her tears away "For breathing… I'm done with it mom! I'm just done" Miley sat down again and wondered what she was going to do as she curled herself up in a ball and cried extremely hard.

…

Greg looked at the clock extremely worried. It's been a while since he felt like this. Worried. He looked at the watch again and he got up from the couch not even bothering to turn the TV of. He grabbed his car keys and ran out of his house, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and he searched trough his contacts, calling the person that he was looking for "Hello?" Demi said as she picked up the phone while she was watching TV. "Demi? It's Greg, Miley's dad… I know you girls aren't talking anymore, but do you know where she is? I tried to call her several times and she isn't home yet…"

"She… she isn't home yet?" She glanced at the clock on the wall and it said 10.20. She put the bowl of popcorn a side and he parents glanced at her, wondering what was going on "I… we hung out today with another friend and I had to leave because I had to pick up my brother. I haven't seen her after that…" Greg started the engine of the car "Where could she be?" He rested his head on the steering wheel trying to control his breathing "You must think I'm a bad father" Demi rushed to the front door where here shoes and jacket where, pulling them on "No. Why do you think that?"

"Because my daughter didn't come home after school and I'm just looking for her right now…" She sighed deeply and wiggled her shoes on at last "You're not a bad father okay. I just… I'll go looking for her too and I'll call you as soon as I find something okay?" She walked back into the living room and looked at her parents who were still looking at her with curious eyes. "Thank you Demi" Greg hung up and drove out of their driveway, thinking of places where she could be. But then it hit him that he hasn't paid any attention to his daughter… because he was to busy being miserable because of his wife death. Miley needed him and he wasn't there for her. He stopped at a red light and leaned his head on the steering wheel letting the tears fall.

After explaining to her parents what was going on Demi ran all the way to Nate's house in the pouring rain. She almost fell flat on her butt a few times but she had to hurry, she didn't know what was going on, for all she could know Miley could be getting raped right now. She cringed at the thought and that made her quicken her pace even more. She looked around carefully and squinted her eyes while the rain was blocking her view. She cursed Selena under her breath because it was her fault that her car was still at school. She finally arrived at Nate's house and she rang the doorbell but there was no response. "Come on" She yelled as she started to knock on it furiously, they had no time to waste "Nate, open the door" The door opened revealing a very sleepy Nate. "Demi?" She looked at him with big eyes and she was glad that he was home "Nate, Miley is missing… What happened here?" His eyes widened at her words and he immediately 'woke up' "What? She's missing?" He walked back inside and grabbed his car keys, storming to the garage so he could get to his car. Demi closed the front door and ran after him "What happened Nate?" She looked at him as she got into his car quickly. He started the engine "I… I don't know. We were going to watch a movie when she suddenly ran out. So I ran after her and she started yelling at me saying that I should stop being nice to her" He backed out of the garage and drove to the street. He grabbed his steering wheel tighter and he bit his bottom lip hard "What's… _wrong_ with her?" He asked carefully as he looked around to see if there were any cars coming. Demi rubbed her temples and sighed "Miley is depressed" Nate stared at Demi in disbelieve "Depressed?" Demi nodded slowly "Selena and Joe turned against her and started bullying her and the same day she found out that her mom d-" Her voice faded out when she realized where they had to look "Her mom... We need to go to the cemetery, go" She told him demanding but when he didn't do anything she looked at him mad that was when she realized that he didn't know the way around here yet "To the left" She spoke quietly and she looked out of the window.

…

"Miley. Miley where are you?" Nate shouted as he ran around the big, dark cemetery while Demi was calling Miley's dad. He stopped running and looked around when he saw a small figure lying on the ground a few meters away from them. Demi saw it too and she looked at Nate horrified before running towards it, she fell down on her knees and turned the body around, bursting out in tears "Miley" She screamed as she lied her down in her arms "Miley wake up" Nate looked at the scene powerless. He looked away and saw a bottle lying on the ground with pills. He bended down and grabbed the almost empty bottle. "Demi…" She didn't react because she was crying her eyes out while trying to wake Miley up. "Demi" Nate said again and this time he got her attention. He showed her the bottle slowly. She gasped and turned back to Miley again, shaking her head "Nooo…" She whimpered quietly "No, she wouldn't do that…" Greg ran up with paramedics "Miley" He shouted when he saw her lying in Demi's arms lifeless. He let himself drop down on his knees and he didn't know what to do. It was like it was all happening again.

Miley fluttered her eyes open and closed them again when the light was blinding her, she turned her head to the side and opened her eyes again, trying to steady her view as it was still a bit blurry, she found Demi sleeping on a chair with a little frown on her face. Miley sighed deeply as she remembered what got her into the hospital and she stared down at the wires that were in her arm and tried to keep her tears in, she made a deal with herself in that moment. She wasn't going to show anyone her vulnerable side anymore. She was going to be immune for whatever Joe and Selena were planning on doing to her. She wasn't going to break down. She was done with that, she was done with being the easy target.

The door opened and Nate walked in, rubbing his eyes tiredly, he looked up at her and a small smile grew on his face "Hey" He immediately walked over to the bedside table and gave her a glass with water. She looked at him frowning a little before grabbing it from him and taking a sip. She placed it on the bedside table and looked at him curiously. "How are you feeling?" He asked feeling a little worn out but he was happy that she finally woke up. Miley avoided looking at him and ignored the question "Where's my father?" He rubbed his chin and sighed a little, he could've lied about it but she didn't deserve that so he just told her the truth "He went home. He said he had to deal with something" She looked down at her fingers and a tear rolled down her cheek "Of course" Nate tried to look at her face but with no success. He could hear in her voice that she was hurting though "Can I help you with something?" Miley looked at him, scratch that, it was closer to a glare "I thought I asked you to not be caring and nice to me" He narrowed his eyes as she ignored one of his questions again, he didn't get why she was acting like that "Now that is bull, you can not forbid me to do that. It's my choice Miley, so you've got to suck it up and accept the fact that I want to help you" She looked at him bewildered "Help me?" She raised her voice a little "You want to help me? I didn't ask for help, okay? I'm… I'm not _mental_ or _crazy_ or whatever the hell you think that I am, I …" She stopped talking and looked at him slantwise "Oh now I get it, you're being nice to me because you pity me. Congrats you just reached the jerk level" She smiled sarcastic at him.

Demi had woken up by the yelling and she was looking at Miley bewildered. This isn't the Miley she knows and loves, because she was being harsh and weird "What's wrong?" She asked sitting up. Miley was staring into space when she answered "Except for the fact that I just want to die but you can't even let me do that…" She glanced over at Demi and Nate meaningful "…I'm fine" She finished bitter and rather sarcastic. Nate glanced over at Demi quickly, extremely worried before looking back at Miley "So you want us to leave you alone?" Miley smiled sarcastic and clapped her hands together "Look at that, you're catching up fast" Demi knew her best friend was hiding her feelings and that she was doing this to secure her heart so she got up from the chair, leaning on the bed and looking straight into Miley's eyes "I really hope you're out of here soon because I know that you hate hospitals" Miley gulped at the intense look that she was getting from her best friend "Did you hear what I said? _**I know you**_, so I know that you're putting this attitude up to keep yourself from hurting" She grabbed her bag and held it tightly in her hand "Don't turn into a cold bitch" She shook her head and walked out of the room with big steps. Nate sighed deeply as Demi slammed the door behind him and a silence crept into the room "I'm going to ask you something rather rude…Have you tried killing yourself before?" He asked, surprising Miley. She was expecting him to be… nice? Even though she didn't want him to be "What makes you think you have the right to ask me that?" She yelled at him, she couldn't believe that he was actually asking that. He rubbed his temples and sighed again "Have you tried killing yourself before?"

She cleared her throat as her voice was raspy, tears were creeping their way up to her eyes "Yes I have" Nate walked closer to the hospital bed "What stopped you from doing it?" He asked slowly, not trying to push her buttons but getting her to understand things. She gulped as she knew where he was going. Her lip quivered and she cursed him in her head for almost making her show her feelings again "Demi" She answered when she had control over her voice again "Exactly, so why hurt the only thing you have left? The one person that can prevent you from leaving this cruel world? Why hurt yourself like this?" She stared at him blankly as his words hit her like a ton of bricks "Leave" He closed his eyes and took a breath before opening them again "Miley, you don't understand" She started to scream like crazy "Leave. I mean it, get out" He shook his head and walked out. He wanted to go home when he saw Demi sitting on the ground on the other side of the hallway. Demi looked up when she felt someone wrap his arm around her, when she saw it was Nate, she started to cry harder. He stroked her hair and held her close to his chest "She'll be all right"

…

After what happened with Miley, Demi and Nate decided to stick together. Nate sighed to himself and moved his hands over his tired face before honking. He looked out of his window to Demi's house and a few minutes later he saw her walk out. She was wearing jeans with her signature worn out Converse and she had an oversized hoodie on. Demi opened the car door and got in slowly, closing the door behind her with a deep sigh "Tired?" Nate started the engine and glanced over at her also tired face "Didn't get any sleep" She sunk down in her seat and leaned her head on the window, closing her eyes. Nate nodded slowly and tore his eyes away from her, he looked to his left to see if a car was coming and when there wasn't they made their way to school.

"I'm so glad that we have a short day today" Demi opened her locker and turned to Nate who was leaning on the locker beside her with his gaze stuck on the ground "What's up curly head?" He seemed to snap out of his thoughts and he smiled slightly at her "Are we going to see Miley today?" She moved her eyes into her locker and shrugged her shoulder "I don't think that's a good idea. She wants us to leave her alone remember?" Only thinking about when Miley said those words to them mad her a bit sad. But she knew it wasn't Miley who said it. Well it was Miley, but she hasn't exactly been the same these past couple of months. "Are you sure we should do that? What if she goes back to…" He looked around and lowered his voice "Popping pills" Demi closed her locker with a small slam and she catched her breath, looking at him with determination "She won't, because I won't let her"

"Now would you look at that?" Joe clapped his hands together and smirked at the both of them "We have the new guy who thinks he can beat me…" Then he looked at Demi "And we got the big mouth" He looked around before looking back to them with a frown on his face "Now where's the little bitch" Nate inhaled sharply before grabbing him by his collar and slamming him against the lockers "Don't talk about her like that" He gritted trough his teeth. Joe laughed hard "So I was right… Stewart is your weakness" Nate let go of him immediately when he realized that this is exactly what Joe wants, he wants to see him fed up. He stepped back too. "How about we take this outside, _Nathan_?" He emphasized his name as he spitted it out like dirt. He stepped closer to him and got in his face.

_Nate slammed the door open and looked around the smoke filled room until he spotted the person he was looking for. "You" He ran into the living room and pulled him of his chair "I know it is you, I just know it. I'm going to kill you" The guy looked at him with an eyebrow raised and a smug smirk plastered on his face "Oh really? I'd like to see that" Nate moved his hands around his neck and he tightened his grip on it, he watched the guys smirk disappear "Shit" He choked out as he started to move his arms around trying to get out of Nate's grip. "Hey! He can't breathe, let go of him" the girl that was also in the room started to hit him on his back "Let go of him" She screamed at him and Nate let go of the guy, throwing him on the ground and he turned to look at the girl "I warned him" He looked down at the guy on the ground who was struggling to get some air. He looked back at the girl who was looking back at him like he was crazy and with that he walked out of the house with big steps. _

Nate clenched his hands into fists and tried to contain himself. He kept his hands like that until he could feel his anger wash away "I'm not going to fight you" He grabbed his backpack from the ground and swung it around his shoulder, he turned to Demi and he pulled her with him. "We'll see about that" Joe screamed after him and he turned to his friends laughing. Demi looked up at Nate and she stopped him from walking, he looked down at her confused "Are you okay? You looked pretty pissed" He let out a shaky breath and nodded slowly "I'm fine" Demi nodded too before she tip toed and pulled him into a hug "Even though he totally deserved to get his ass kicked… I'm proud of you for not hitting him" Nate hugged her back and closed his eyes for a little while "Thanks Demi"


	5. Anger

It was a week later and Miley was back to school, she had a lot of rest but she hasn't spoken to Demi the whole time. She got rid of her baggy clothes and decided that she wasn't going to be scared of Joe and Selena anymore, though she was still wearing jeans, with a top and a cardigan so people wouldn't see the bruises they got her. Truth was that she was scared, terrified even, but she wasn't going to walk away and let Demi deal with her problems anymore, or Nate for that matter. When she opened the double doors of the school and she looked up from her shoes she found everyone staring at her. She immediately felt the urge to turn around and run away from it all. No one would care right? And her dad isn't home to send her back to school.

But she fought against that urge, instead she held her head high – with some difficulty but she did it – and she strutted her way to her locker like it was a year ago, when people would look at her with adoration instead of disgust, when they would look at her because she was one of the popular instead of the school freak. When she couldn't care less about what people said about her. It's kind of hard to have that same mentality now that your best friend let you fall and that her boyfriend took advantage of you. But she was going to try.

Miley walked around the corner, looking for Demi since she wasn't at her locker. When she saw Demi she turned her around and hugged her tightly "Thank you" Demi hugged her back a tad surprised and she pulled back a little to look at her best friend with confused but soft eyes "For what?" Miley sighed and smiled slightly "For not leaving me" She breathed out. Demi smiled back and gave her a quick hug again "Never. You look beautiful by the way. I haven't seen you like this in a long time" Miley blushed a little and waved the compliment away before turning serious again "About what we both said at the hospital… I'm sorry okay? I won't turn into a cold bitch because I'm not going to be like Selena. But you can't expect me to be nice to Nate. I don't know the guy and he's butting in my life like he's been around forever" Demi sighed a little, she knew she was going to say this "That's because he cares" Miley shook her head, not understanding what was so special about her that he wouldn't just leave her alone. "That's just it. He doesn't know me, why would he care?"

"Because he's a great person but he is my friend now, so please try to be nice to him, please?" Demi pleaded for her new friend. Even though Miley was at home for the past week Nate defended her every single time someone would talk crap about her. She wanted Miley to realize that. That even though some people left and turned their backs against her that there are still good persons out there and that Nate is one of them. Miley looked down and sighed before looking up at Demi again "Fine"

Nate walked up at that moment with his hands in his pockets and he noticed Miley. It was like he was standing in front of a whole different Miley. She looked the slightest bit comfortable and she was radiant "Hey, you're back. How are you feeling?" Demi looked at her intently to see how she was going to react. Miley smiled a little but she kept her glance on Demi "Much better, thank you. I'm going now" She leaned of the lockers and walked away from them "What was that about?" Nick asked rather confused he saw the looks they gave each other. Demi shook her head giggling a little "Nothing"

Miley looked around quickly before entering the girls restroom, she checked every stall and let out a breath of relieve before digging trough her bag to grab her medicine, she opened the bottle when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach so everything dropped out of her hand "Fuck" She dropped to the ground as it started to hurt more.

"Wait here, I'll be right back" Demi told Nate before she entered the girl's restroom and seeing Miley whimpering on the floor in pain. She immediately dropped to her knees besides Miley "What happened?" Demi tried to sit her up but Miley pushed her away softly so she wouldn't hurt her "Don't, that hurts…" She leaned her head back against the wall and tried to breathe normally again. Demi looked at her concerned and was debating in her head to involve Nate or not. She was scared for her best friend and she didn't want anything to happen so she got up from the ground and opened the door "Nate can you…?" She started but she got interrupted by an angry Miley, a very _pissed_ Miley. Miley groaned and screamed at her while she still had a hold of her stomach "Leave him out of it" Demi widened her eyes by her tone and she looked at her in surprise "But Mile…"

"Demi, I mean it, if you let him in we're not friends anymore" Miley gritted trough her teeth. Of course she didn't mean that. But if Nate is putting up this 'hero' act to get some respect or to become popular or something then he can go try with somebody else because she is not a charity case. Nate bit his bottom lip and shook his head in protest. He brushed past Demi and saw Miley sitting on the floor against the wall. "Are you okay?"

"Do I look like I'm okay?" She spat at him, making both Demi and Nick look at her while they were caught of guard. She took her hand off her stomach because she felt the pain fading away. Nate kneeled down and found the pills lying all around her "I'm sorry for asking Miley but did you… try again?" She looked up at him with so much hatred that it made a shiver run down his spine "I want you out. Get the fuck out of here and leave me alone. You want to help me right? Then leave me the fuck alone because insulting me every fucking time you see me with pills isn't helping" Miley grabbed the bottle of pills and threw it at him – hoping that it would hit him but he caught it in his hands – "There, not that it's any of your business but they're prescribed by the doctor. Look at the date. They're from the day that I got into the hospital you asshole"

Nate looked down at the bottle in his hands and he let out a sigh when he realized she was right. He did feel like a major jerk at that moment and when he looked up he met with Miley's gaze. He couldn't read it exactly since her emotions were all over the place but he could see the hurt in her eyes. He lowered his head and slowly got up from the ground. Demi dug her hands in her pockets. She understood why Miley got into her defensive mode but she also knew that it wasn't Nate's intention to hurt her like that "You should go Nate…" She glanced down at Miley and she heard him sigh. Nate laced his fingers trough his hair and placed the bottle on the sink "Bring her to the nurse, and make sure that she eats something and that she drinks water. And call me…" He glanced over at Miley with regretful eyes although he was talking to Demi "If you need anything" Demi nodded quickly "I will" He nodded back and opened the door to walk out but he bumped into Selena.

"Watch where you're going Lucas" She screamed at him as he walked away from her – not without him glaring at her first of course – she opened the door of the restroom again and saw Miley sitting on the ground while Demi was collecting the pills. Miley quickly looked up when she heard the door open again and she was hoping for Nate's life that it wasn't him. Instead it was someone even worse, it was Selena. Selena stopped walking and for a split second a flash of concern came across her eyes but it disappeared as soon as it came. She smirked fake at her "Well, well" She grabbed her phone out of her bag and took a picture of the scene "I think the school would love to see this" She smirked bitchy and she adjusted her hair in the mirror before walking out. Demi got up from the ground quickly "You whore" She wanted to run out after her. "Hey Demi, let her go, she's a bitch anyway at least let her act like one" Miley stopped her and also got up from the ground slowly then she grinned at Demi, adding: "You can hit her later if you'd like" Demi grinned back and pushed her playfully. She grabbed her bag and wrapped her arm around her shoulder "Let's get you to the nurse"

…

Nate was sitting in the back of the lunchroom by himself with a book in his hands and people were still whispering and pointing about the fact that he was only there for about 2 weeks and that he had already hit Joe and shoved him against the lockers, all for _**Freaky Stewart**_, as they called her. But he couldn't care less. It was the same at his old school but people would see him as someone they could look up to when he helped someone. If only he could stay there, but it was all too much to handle especially after what happened. All the attention and comments that were thrown at him and his family was just unbearable so they packed up and left. There were too many memories anyway. But then again if he wouldn't have moved to North Carolina he would've never met Miley… or Demi. When he looked up from his book he could find Selena and Joe sitting at the 'popular' table with satisfied smirks on their faces. He shook his head and a smirk grew on his face because they thought that they actually got to him.

Demi and Miley were looking around for a place to sit since their usual spot was taken. Demi puckered her lips and looked to her side where Miley was standing "Should we go sit outside?" Miley saw it all happen, she saw the whispers, the pointing and the yelling and screaming and she could see that Nate couldn't give a shit. That admired her. That he would take all of the crap that he's getting, just for her. Maybe in the end Miley would always have a soft spot for Nate, although she doesn't want it but she can't deny the fact that he has been incredibly nice to her ever since he got here and she has been nothing but a bitch to him. So Miley shook her head at Demi and nodded towards Nate. Just in that moment Nate looked up and he was staring at Selena and Joe, a smirk grew on his face and then he tore his gaze away from them when he saw Miley and Demi. Miley smiled slightly "We should go sit with Nate" And with that she stepped forward and walked her way over to him, not tearing her eyes away from Nate and not letting her smile drop while she walked past Joe and Selena.

Joe frowned confused because Miley walked passed them like they were thin air and he got up from his lunch table ignoring the glare that Demi send him. He walked over to Miley and grabbed her arm turning her around. Miley looked down at his hand on her arm before looking at his face with a cold hard expression "Don't touch me Gray" she spitted out and Joe raised his eyebrow at her tone and he quickly glanced down at Selena who was standing up, looking as confused as he was. "Did you just talk back to him?" Miley swallowed the lump down her throat "I didn't hear him talking to m-" Before she could finish her sentence Joe tightened his grip on her arm which made her flinch and in no time Nate was there by her side. Demi glared daggers at Joe "Joseph" Joe has been acting even more as an asshole then before because he knew how he could get under Nate's skin and she was afraid that Nate was really going to lose it now. "How many times do I have to tell you _Demetria_, the full name won't help one bit" He turned back to Nate with a playful smirk on his face "Ah, Nate Lucas" Miley ripped herself out of Joe's grip as he seemed to be distracted by Nate.

Joe reached out for her again but Nate fled forward and grabbed him by his collar, throwing him on the floor. "I thought she told you to not touch her. You listen and you listen well. I have been putting up with your bullshit for almost two weeks now and I already have enough of it so I don't get how all of these people here at school seem to praise you for whatever jerkish thing you do except for the only sane ones here at school which will have to be Demi and Miley. As I said before, I'm done with you. So I don't want you near Demi, Miley or me, unless they ask you to and you shouldn't worry about me because I wouldn't want you near me at all. So I hope you got it now Gray, I'm sick of your games and you should grow up" He let of his collar and got of the ground, glaring down at him. "When later in the future you realize that all of this…" He pointed around the lunchroom, indicating to his popularity now in High School "Didn't get you anywhere, I will be there laughing my ass off at you" Nate finished as he was fuming with anger. "Nate, let's go" Demi tried pushing him away but he wouldn't let her. "Nate, let's go" This time she raised her voice and he looked down at her frustrated.

Joe chuckled and got up from the ground "If you go…" He pointed at Miley "At least take your slut with you" He retorted and Miley immediately snapped her head at him "How did you just call me?" She was sick and tired of being pushed around and she was ready to fix it now once and for all. "You should think before you say the words Gray" Nate pushed Joe which caused him to fall on the lunch table where he was seated a few minutes before. "You want to fight me? Fine, come on" Nate rolled up his sleeve and walked closer to him, grabbing his pocket knife and handing it over to him "Be a man and get up, fight me" Joe looked at him with big eyes, he was confused and to be honest he was shitting his pants. He got of the lunch table with the pocket knife in his hand and looked at Nate with anticipation, fearing for what he was going to do. "COME ON, HIT ME" Nate eventually yelled at him, making the whole cafeteria turn dead silent all at once. "OR STAB ME FOR ALL I CARE. AT LEAST FIGHT. THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED ALL ALONG RIGHT?" He stared at Joe intensely.

"Nate, stop it" Miley finally spoke up and she was staring at him scared to death. She had never seen someone so angry before in her whole life. It was like he was a different person and she was scared that if he stayed like this something really bad was going to happen. "COME ON" Nate screamed once again, ignoring Miley's comment for him to stop. That seemed to snap Joe out of his thoughts and he tore his gaze away from him "All right" He screamed back and he dropped the pocket knife on the ground "All right" He looked down at a scared Selena and he shook his head "Come on, the guy is crazy" Miley quickly walked over to Nate and she grabbed his hand "Let's go"

"Neither of you is going anywhere" Principal Green said as he stomped his way into the lunch room pissed of. "This was your last strike Nathan Lucas. There will we consequences now." Joe raised his hands immediately "I didn't do anything" Principal Green scoffed and shook his head "Sure you didn't. To my office, _**now**_" He glared at both Nate and Joe. Nate shrugged his shoulders and grabbed his bag "It's not like I got something to lose" Miley's jaw dropped to the ground and she turned Nate back around to her "What's your problem Nate?" She said lowly so only he could hear it. "He touched you while you clearly told him you didn't want him to, that's all" He waved the whole situation away like it was nothing "That's all? _**That is all?**_" She repeated his words and at that moment she didn't know if she had to be pissed at him or thankful for what he did. He did it to defend her and Joe really deserved that. "Nathan?" A voice was heard from the hall and Nate shrugged his shoulders again, walking away backwards "That's my queue" Demi quickly walked over to Miley "What the hell was that all about?" Miley just shook her head "I don't know… Can we go please?" She was starting to feel uncomfortable under the stares she was getting.

…

Miley sighed deeply and threw her bag in the hall. She was so glad to be home after the horrifying event that played up at school, she hasn't seen Nate ever since and she was really, really hoping that he didn't get expelled or something like that. She heard footsteps coming from the living room and when she looked up she saw her father, Greg, standing there. "Look who decided to show his face" She said with the sarcasm obviously audible in her voice, adding an even more sarcastic smile to it. "Miley, don't do that…" Greg breathed out. He was really hoping that they could finally talk about what happened a week ago. "Do what, exactly?" She tilted her head slantwise as if she didn't understand what he was talking about. He shook his head and sighed, deciding to handle it differently "How are you feeling? Are you keeping up?" The smile left her face immediately and she was stunned by his question. You would've thought that after how unfair he has been treating her, he would know. "How I'm feeling? You would've known that if you were actually there in the hospital. Or when I was at home? Instead, you've been throwing yourself into work like you did right after mom died. You want to know how I'm feeling? I'm feeling abandoned. There it is" She spat at him and she brushed past him. He stopped her by her arm carefully "Miley, listen, I'm sorry. But you know that I lost my wife and…"

"Dad, really? Right now I don't care about it and you can't use that as an excuse because I lost her as well. That day, I lost my friends, I lost my mom and I lost my father" Miley screamed at him. Greg wiped a tear away that was streaming down her face "But I'm here" She shook her head furiously and she ripped herself free "No you're not. I have been so lost, I've been losing my mind and you don't even see it. You don't even care"

"But I do care, Miley I…" He started powerless but he got interrupted again. "Can I just please go to my room now? Please?" She almost begged him, wanting to break down in her room. "I want you to see someone Miley. You have all this anger and pain bottled up inside and I don't know what to do with it" Miley gasped and looked at him in disbelieve "I can't believe you actually just asked that from me" He lifted his finger and shook his head "That's where you're wrong. I'm not asking Miley" Miley moved up the first step of the stairs before looking at him over her shoulder and scoffing "Ha, even worse. How about I go when you decide to man up and be a father?" She threw at his face before running up to her room.

…

"Unbelievable" Joe screamed trough the car and he hit his steering wheel out of frustration "That Nate is a freaking son of a bitch and-" After that Selena blocked him out of my mind, she was tired of listening to his complaints about Miley and it that moment she wondered if she made the right decision to believe her boyfriend instead of her best friend. She sighed a little and grabbed her phone out of her pocket. She went to her gallery and found the picture of Miley and Demi in the restroom with the pills surrounding them. Selena zoomed in on Miley and she could see it in her eyes, the hurt, the pain, the confusion. It was the same look she had when Selena had ditched her and at the day of the funeral. Selena started wondering what actually happened when she walked in on them. Nate walked out upset. Demi was looking confused, scared but also with anger written in her eyes and then Miley…

"Selena" Joe screamed at her and he stared at her in disbelieve. Selena shook out of her thoughts and stared back at Joe, soon realizing that they stood still. She looked out of her window and saw that they were in front of her house. She could've sent those pictures to everyone in school, but she didn't. Why? It was also a mystery to her. She looked down at her phone again and pressed the delete button. She opened Joe's car door and got into her house without throwing a glance at Joe.

**Here's the fourth episode. I really hope you guys like it because I certainly did. Wow, so what's up with Nate eh? Apparently he isn't_ just_ the sweet guy but he also has a dark side. What do you think? Was he only that angry because of what Joe did/has done to Miley or is there something else that has been bothering him? I'm so sorry if there are any mistakes in it and once again take you so much for the reviews and such. You guys are the best!**


	6. Truth

Miley had been thinking deeply about the whole situation with Nate and she wanted answers. So she dried her tears and pulled on a warm sweater because it was already around 8 P.M and it had cooled down. She pulled her worn out Vans on and slipped down the stairs, trying her hardest to be quiet but she failed. "Where are you going?" Greg walked out of the living room and leaned against the doorway. "Out" Miley retorted and she pulled her hoodie over her head. She moved her hand over the doorknob, opened the door and walked out.

Miley walked up the long driveway to Nate's house and once again she got amazed by the mansion in front of her. She walked up the steps to his door and rang the doorbell after taking a deep breath. It took a few moments before the door opened revealing Nate "Uhmm… Hey?" He said a bit carefully. Miley stuffed her hands into the pockets of her sweaters and smiled slightly "I was just wondering how you were doing after what happened at school" Nate cocked his eyebrow up questioning but he opened the door more for her so she could walk in. She walked in and he closed the door behind her, still looking at her questionably "I'm fine I guess" Miley looked around at the pictures in the huge hall "Where are your parents?"

Nate walked into the kitchen and Miley followed behind him, he grabbed some orange juice out of the fridge and two glasses "Out for dinner" He lied perfectly. Miley threw him a glance and she grabbed the glass from him "You're lying" She whispered softly. He narrowed his eyes at her "Fine, they're on a business trip. What's up with the sudden interest in me?" She took a sip of her drink and shrugged her shoulders "Maybe the same reason why you're so interested in me?" She asked while she glanced at him again. A small grin grew on his face "So it's because you think I'm handsome?" She widened her eyes and giggled "What?" She shook her head and threw her head back laughing "No" Nate smiled brightly at her laughter. It was so cute and contagious.

"Bummer" He retorted and she looked at him trough her eyelashes "But no, seriously, why are you so interested in me?" She asked once again when she was done laughing, she did wear a bright smile on her face and Nate could tell that it was a real one. "Because I'm intrigued by you" Miley bit her bottom lip and looked down at the glass in her hand "Well, then I'm intrigued by you too" They finished their drinks in silence, stealing some glanced from time to time. "So what's up with all the anger that you have. Did something happen?"

"Uhmm… something like that…" Nate scratched the back of his head and looked away uncomfortable. Miley noticed that he was uncomfortable so she brushed the subject away "What were you doing before I came here?" She asked quickly. He smiled at her and held his hand out for her to grab. She looked at it hesitantly but she decided to trust him, Demi did, so why couldn't she? And besides he looked like a little kid on Christmas. So she grabbed his hand and she let herself her carried up the stairs and into an amazing bright and big room which was full of instruments. "Oh…" She catched a breath and looked around silently.

"_So dad and I got a surprise for you" Rachel said while they walked down the hall towards the room they were going to show her. "Really? What is it?" Miley looked up at her parents with anticipation. "Why don't you look for yourself bud?" Greg smiled excited and pointed to the door she had to open when they stopped in front of it. Miley bit her bottom lip and opened the door excited, getting caught by surprised. "Ohh…" She covered her mouth with her hand and looked at the music room in front of her. Her mother, Rachel, walked over to her and placed her hands on her shoulder "The white one is yours" She spoke over the piano. "I love it" Miley turned around in her arms and gave her a hug before running over to her father to give him a hug too "Thank you so much"_

"Miley?" Nate looked at her worried and he squeezed her hand a little. "Huh?" She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him "I'm sorry I…" Her voice trailed of and a sad smile formed on her face as she looked at the music room in front of her "It's amazing" She whispered softly. She let go of his hand and walked towards the piano that was standing in the middle of the room, letting her fingers touch the keys "I have the same one" She chocked out. "Really? So you play" He walked over to her and sat down in front of the piano "Yes… no, not anymore" Miley did her best to hold her tears back. Nate let out a small breath and placed his hands on the keys as he started playing.

_She walks away the colors fade to grey and every precious moment is now a waste. She hits the gas, hoping it would pass, the red light starts to flash it's time to wait._

_And the black keys never looked so beautiful and a perfect rainbow never seemed so dull. And the lights out never had this brighter glow and the black keys, were showing me a world I'd never knew no. A world I'd never knew_

He glanced over at Miley to see how she would react to it but she had her back turned towards him as she leaned against the piano.

_She hates the sun, 'cause it proves she's not alone and the world doesn't revolve around her soul, no. She loves the sky 'cause it validates her pride, never lets her know when she is wrong_

_And the black keys never looked so beautiful and a perfect rainbow never seemed so dull. And the lights out never had this brighter glow and the black keys, were showing me a world I never knew, no_

_When the walls are closing in, don't let them get inside of your head. Don't let them get inside of your head. Don't let them get inside of your head, don't let them inside._

In that small pause that the song had he could hear Miley sob so he stopped playing immediately "Miley?" He got up and turned her towards him, looking at her with worried eyes. She smiled softly and shook her head "Can you continue playing?" She sat him down and sat down next to him, trying to contain her sobs. "Are you sure?" He asked in a whisper as he pushed a strand of hair out of her face. She looked at him with red puffy eyes and nodded slowly. He nodded back at her and placed his hand on the keys again, picking up where he left of.

_'cause the black keys never looked so beautiful and a perfect rainbow never seemed so dull, ohh. And the lights out, never had this brighter glow and the black keys, were showing me a world I never knew_

_Don't let them get inside of your head. Don't let them get inside of your head. Don't let them get, nooo, inside of your head_

_Sometimes you'll find, it's better black and white_

Miley dropped her head on Nate's shoulder and she found herself wrapping her arms around him. "Are you okay?" He asked after he kissed the top of her head, he also had his arms wrapped around her and he was holding her tightly. "Thank you for playing that song" She responded and she buried her head in his chest.

-x-

Demi was sitting on a swing in the middle of the park, earplugs in her ears and the soft tones on Iron and Wine's song Each Coming Night. She moved her feet and a small smile showed on her face. She felt a presence beside her and when she looked up from the ground she found Joe sitting next to her. She looked away from him and she wanted to get up but he stopped her so she sat back down again. "Joe…" She breathed out. Joe moved his hand from her wrist to her hand and intertwined their fingers together "I miss you" He spoke sincerely and he fixated his eyes on her. She looked beautiful with her hair in a ponytail, no make up on and her signature leather jacket and she was wearing a shirt from All Time Low, he bought her that shirt.

"What do you want me to do about that Joe?" Demi turned her glance back to him showing a cold glare and she pulled her hand away. "After everything you did…" She got up from the swing and stood in front of him "What do you want me to do about it?" She spoke, pointing out every word. When he just stared at her with his mouth agape she shook her head and walked away from him. Joe quickly got up and catched her arm to turn her around "I apologized for that" Demi turned around and pushed him away with full force "You apologized to me. What about to Miley? You call bullying her apologizing? She was your best friend Joe._** I**_ was your best friend"

"You were more than that…" He whispered.

She pretended like she didn't hear him and she continued talking even though it stunned her. "But then Selena came into the picture. She stole you away from me and then she turned you into the son of a bitch that you are today and I hate her for that. And I hate you for turning your back on Miley and me like we meant nothing to you. You ruined her life Joseph. She wanted to kill herself because of you. So I hope you're happy now, I hope your proud of yourself" She was trying to keep calm but she ended up yelling at him anyway. Joe was stubborn you could tell him things a hundred times but he just wouldn't catch on, or maybe he just didn't want to. So Demi really hoped that he got it now.

They stood there for a while, a long while actually before Joe spoke up "Demi…" And he reached out for her but she stepped back immediately, raising her hands in the process "You heard Nate, stay away from me" She turned on the heel of her shoes and walked her way home.

-x-

Nate was sitting on his desk chair strumming on his guitar while Miley was lying on his bed curled up in a ball, listening to him play. They haven't really talked much they just both needed some company, neither of them expecting it to come from the other.

"I haven't apologized yet have I?" Miley sat up and was staring down at her fingers and Nate stopped strumming and placed his guitar on it's stand, walking over to her and sitting down next to her. "I've been a complete bitch towards you and I'm sorry for that" She looked up from her hands and met with his eyes. In that moment Nate really wanted to kiss her, she looked at him with so much emotion, like she was battling with herself. He just wanted to take the pain away but he couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to the both of them. Not to her because of what happened with Joe, he understood that she wasn't ready to start something and because he was still hung up on somebody else. And also not to him, because he would be lying to himself, saying that he likes Miley while in fact it's nothing more than attraction.

_Nate was sitting in the center of his room when he heard the doorbell ring, he wanted to ignore it but he couldn't and besides, anything would be better than staring at a wall. So he rose on his feet and made his way down the stairs slowly, it took a while because the person rang the doorbell again. He opened it eventually and he found his beautiful girlfriend standing there, out in a rain, a black umbrella over her head and a black dress. Everything was black, and he hated it._

"_Nathan…" She spoke with a soft voice while she looked at his boyfriend in concern "You weren't there" He closed his eyes tightly and lowered his head before opening them again "I hate this day, it's August and I… I woke up this morning and it..." He chuckled without humor and he clammed his fingers in his curly hair "It was raining. Can you believe it Lucy? It's mid August and then all of a sudden on the day that they're going to burry **her**, it's raining"_

"_Nate" She said again, he was worrying her. He was acting different and she could feel that he was shutting her out._

"_But I was there, I was there at the cemetery in by bright red letterman jacket, you know, the one that she bought for me and everyone else was wearing black. It was just so depressing and everyone was looking at me like I was crazy for wearing that. So I left, the funeral, this day, is going all against what she stood for. Emily stood for brightness and being alive and happiness and…" With that his voice cracked and he could feel himself break down. He wanted to yell, he wanted to scream, he wanted to hit, just to let it all out but he couldn't and he wouldn't, not in front of Lucy._

_Nate shook his head at her "I can't do this anymore" He breathed out and Lucy looked up at him with her big dark brown eyes "What do you mean Nate?" She questioned after a few moments of silence. The rain was ticking on the roof, they held their breaths. "Us, you deserve better Lucy. You deserve someone who can love you and not some one that's torn up inside. And you're going to find that someone, it's just not me" Another silence crept up. It took a while before anyone dared to move or even take a breath. Lucy stepped back a few steps and Nate could see the tears fall down her cheeks "Lucy…" Nate started, he wanted to explain, he wanted her to understand. She shook her head and smiled weakly trough her tears "No, no, I get it… I-" She looked down, turned around and walked away._

Nate ignored the sudden desire he had to kiss Miley so he just smiled at her "Apology accepted" Miley smiled softly at him and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear "So what now? Are we going to watch a movie or something?" She puckered her lips as she ignored the 6th call that came in that night. Nate wondered who it was but he respected her privacy so he just didn't ask. "It's eleven fifteen…" She groaned and lied down on his bed "I know, but I don't want to go home" She let out a breath and stared at the ceiling. Nate raised his eyebrow and lied down next to her, also staring at the ceiling.

"What's at home?"

"My dad and our sucky relationship is…"

"You can stay until I get tired of you and kick you out"

…

He didn't kick her out, instead she stayed the night and he woke up beside her. Her back against him and with a pillow tightly pressed to her chest. Her auburn locks sprawled over the pillow where her head lied on and she let out a little satisfied breath. Nate smiled at that. He got of his bed and realized that they had enough time before they had to be at school. Since he couldn't sleep anymore he decided to get a shower.

Miley woke up around 7, she let go of the pillow that she had held on to and looked around a bit surprised. She fell asleep at Nate's house. Her phone started buzzing on the bedside table and when she grabbed it she saw that it was _**another**_ message from her dad.

_I'm calling out a search party by the police if you don't tell me where you are in 5 minutes._

Miley rolled her eyes and yawed, she pushed herself up and typed back _Stayed over at Demi. _She then realized that it was Friday, meaning that she had to go to school. But she didn't have any clothes with her and she didn't want to step any foot in her own place. She groaned and got out of bed before spotting a flowy salmon colored top and a pair of boxers. She figured Nate laid them out there for her so she smiled thankfully and made her way over to the bathroom.

…

Nate was watching Cartoon Network when Miley walked down the stairs around 7.40. "Adventure Time?" She gushed while she walked over to him and sat down next to him. He chuckled lightly and looked at her "Does the top fit?" She let her fingers touch the fabric softly and nodded content "Yeah, and it's very beautiful, where did you find it anyway?" Nate turned the TV off and got of the couch "It's an old one from my mom. Hey, I was thinking that maybe we can go to the diner and get some coffee and pancakes? I think we'll be right on time" Miley bit her bottom lip as she thought about it, when she couldn't really find a reason not to go she also got up "Pancakes? Sounds good"

…

"So apparently you stayed over at my place yesterday?" Demi said with a grin on her face when Miley and Nate walked up to her at school. "Care to tell me where you really where?" She eyed Nate suspicious when Nate smiled slightly. "I hung out with Nate, fell asleep there" Miley shrugged her shoulders and opened her locker to grab her books. Demi widened her eyes and gave her thumbs up at Nate and she mouthed "Good job" He shook his head and threw his head back "It's nothing like that Demi" He groaned. Demi raised her eyebrow with a small grin on her face "Sure" Miley closed her locker and looked at them confused, completely oblivious to what they were talking about. "What are you guys talking about?" Nate scratched the back of his neck "Nothing…"

Joe walked by with his arm around Selena. He stared at Demi with a sad look. He hated how everything turned out between them. Even though he wouldn't admit it until last night… he really did miss her and Miley too. Demi pushed a strand of her behind her ear and cleared her throat as she looked away from him. Miley narrowed her eyes at Joe before looking at Demi who was playing with the ring around her finger "What was that about?" She crossed her arms and looked at her best friend worried. Nate knew that it was something he had nothing to do with "I'm gonna go to class. I'll see you guys at history" He smiled softly and turned around, walking away from them.

Miley glanced back at Demi "Something happened with Joe…" She stated and when she saw Demi look away from her she knew that it was true. "I was sitting in the park last night and he came up to me, telling me that he misses me… I ended up yelling to him for what he did to us. We were such great friends before Selena came into the picture Miley and I miss that too" Demi breathed out with a few tears appearing in her eyes. "I miss it too… everyday…" Miley sighed and pulled Demi in a hug "You still like Joe don't you?" She asked after a few moments of silence and then the bell rang. Demi nodded and she pulled back "But I can't… I'm dating Griffin…"

"Yeah, Griffin who lives in England… Look, I hate Joe for what he did but he really made you happy and-"

"Look, I don't want to hear it. I'm going to class" With that Demi turned around and made her way to Physics.

**Hello guys, sorry that it took so long but I really hope you guys like it. It got a little crappy towards the end but I hope you guys can see past that, maybe? Thank you so much for the reviews, they man the world to me and I loved each one of them! **

**So Miley and Nate hung out. I loved writing that part. So we got to learn a little bit more about Nate and also about Demi and Joe. Did you guys see that one coming? I get it if you guys are a little confused about that but I promise that I will explain it in the next episode or the one after that. Thank you for reading it : ) Sorry if there are any mistakes!**


	7. Bittersweet Happiness

_**Happiness comes in many forms – in the company of good friends, in the feeling you get when you make someone else's dream come true, or in the promise of hope renewed. It's okay to let yourself be happy because you never know how fleeting that happiness might be.**_

Selena took a long sip from her iced coffee and she tried her hardest to keep her attention everywhere but on Joe who was sitting in front of her after school. She saw the looks, she wasn't crazy. She hated this feeling, she could feel Joe pushing himself away from her and she couldn't do anything about it. Feelings are feelings right. Besides Demi and Joe have history and she just wished that she could say that she and Joe had a future. She sighed deeply and leaned back in her seat. They were only fooling each other and waiting until it would all fall apart although she couldn't help but feel jealous about the whole situation. Why Demi? Why not her?

Joe sighed too and stared at Selena while she was sipping on her iced coffee with a thoughtful frown showing on her face. "Sel?" He asked softly but she didn't say anything. He reached over for her hand that was lying on the table and he laced their fingers together. She snapped out of her thoughts and smiled automatically at his touch. She did love him, she really did. "What are you thinking about?" He took a sip of his own coffee. Selena put her iced coffee down and moved her free hand trough her long brown locks and let it rest on the back of her neck. She glanced outside and watched as the rain drops hit the window. "We should leave Miley alone" She blurted out "We should leave Miley alone and Nate alone and… and Demi" She breathed out quickly and she moved her glance back to Joe again

"Demi…" Joe repeated and he shook his head, knowing that what he was thinking all along was right. "Selena-" He started, he knew what she was thinking and he just wanted to get it out of her head. He might doesn't actually love _yet_ her but he really does care deeply for her. Selena pulled her hand back and raised her hand, indicating him to stop and he did. "You and Demi have a history and for god knows the reason why something is happening again. I saw the glances and it truly worries me. I know that… I know that, I'm so sorry for saying this but it's true, I know that our relationship is crap. But there's a reason why we're still together after 1 and a half year right? That has to mean something" She cleared her throat and looked at him with curious eyes. She was hoping so bad that he would agree with her and that they would actually make something out of this. But to her dismay they got interrupted when laughter filled the diner.

Miley pulled the jacket that she kept over her head on their way to the diner of her head and she laughed at something that Nate said. The strands of her auburn hair were wet and her jeans were sticky but it didn't mind because she was having fun with her friends. Demi gasped and let herself fall down on a booth nearby the door "Dude shut up, it's not funny" She ran her fingers trough her hair and stared down at the menu card with a wide smile on her face "Actually it is" Miley slipped in the booth on the opposite side of her and smiled at Nate as he slipped in right after her. "I just decided that you are paying, serves you right for being an ass" Demi stuck her tongue out at Nate and he just responded with a smirk on his face. She rolled her eyes playfully and put her hair in a bun on the top of her head. "So what can I get you ladies?" Nate asked while he looked at the other menu card. At that moment Demi's phone started ringing.

_Let's dance in style let's dance for a while, heaven can wait we're only watching the skies._

A huge smile grew on her face while she took out her phone out of her pocket, glancing over at Miley who smiled back at her and winked. "I'm going to take this" She got out the booth and picked up the phone, she thought about going outside but it was still raining so she decided to go to the restroom. "Hello gorgeous" Griffin said with his thick English accent and Demi could feel herself blush. She looked up from the ground and looked right at Joe who was staring back at her. She shook the feeling that she got away because it got overpowered by the butterflies that were fluttering in her stomach because of Griffin "Hey babe" She pushed the door open and disappeared in the restroom.

Joe tore his gaze away from Demi when she disappeared trough the door, he realized that whatever they had was left in the past and there was no way that it would come back again. He turned back to Selena and grabbed her hand again "Demi and I have history but no future. You're right our relationship is crappy but I would like to do everything we can to change that okay? Because you're a very beautiful and amazing girl" Selena smiled brightly at his words, her worries were gone… for now. She leaned over and kissed him softly. "Should we get out of here?" He nodded back to her and they finished their coffee before walking out hand in hand.

Miley watched Joe and Selena walk out and the smile that she had on her face had dropped immediately. That feeling of not being worthy came rushing back into her like a snap. Joe stopped being her friend because she was unworthy right, because Selena was more outgoing and beautiful. _You drove him away_, she thought to herself, _you and your unworthy self and mom, where's mom now?_

"What can I get you ladies?" Nate asked again as he looked up from the menu card. He looked at her and he could see an empty glance over her eyes. Miley finally tore her gaze away from the door and she pushed the menu card that was in front of her away from her sight. She was chewing on her bottom lip a bit nervously actually and then she felt Nate's hand over hers and he laced their fingers together. "I'm not hungry" She softly whispered, still not turning to look at him. She had to admit that she liked how it felt holding his hand. "You're not?" He asked confused with a sly smirk on his face "You practically dragged Demi and me over here so you could get pancakes" He chuckled but that soon faded when she stared straight at him. She released her hand out of his "I'm not hungry Nate. Can you get up? I need to go"

"Go where?" He kept his glance at her and his body started to fill with worry, her mood had changed in a split second and he knew that something was up. He remembered Demi telling him that she was depressed and it suddenly made sense to him. "I don't know I just need to go" She was pushing against his chest but with no success. "Then I'll come with you" Miley shoved him hard which caused him to move back a little but he didn't really move "Fuck Nate" She groaned out of frustration and she dropped her head on her hands. "I hate you" Miley murmured softly as she tried to get her breaths even again. Those words stung a little with Nate but he pushed it to the back of his mind "You'll thank me for this later" Miley scoffed loudly and she turned to look at him again "I will thank you for this? Is that what you said? You expect me that I'll be thanking you for acting like I'm some kind of psychopath? You won't even let me get the fuck out of here, what are you afraid of? That I'm going to hurt someone?"

"More like hurt yourself" He retorted softly and he sighed deeply "You're self medicating Miley and you're not at the right state of mind but I get it. I know how you're feeling" She shook her head stubbornly and she gritted trough her teeth "You don't know anything"

"Yes I do" He raised his voice a little and quickly looked around, happy to see that they were the only ones in the diner at the moment, he looked back at her "I do, you lost your mother and I also lost someone close to me" Miley chuckled without humour and shook her head again, leaning back in the seat "Losing a girlfriend is different then losing a family member" She answered rudely.

It would be an understatement to say that he was getting sick and tired of her accusations, so even though it might hurt her – and himself at the process at going over it again – he had to say what was on his mind. "I lost my little sister, so _**you**_ don't know anything. I was just like you Miley trust me, maybe even worse and I don't want this for you. I want you to make something of your life. That you live a life that's so good and happy as possible. And you may never, never, feel guilty because you're happy. Don't you dare. And if you can't get yourself to do that, then do it for me. Because I don't think I can live with myself knowing that you're feeling the same pain that I felt."

Miley stared at him caught of guard. She knew he was angry and she didn't know the reason why and she just went of on him like that. He lost someone too and still he was here, being happy. She had no idea how long ago it was that his sister died but it has been almost two years for her mother and all she has done is push people away and lock herself from everyone. She thought his words over again and he was right. She needed to get back to being her old self before she was going to lose everyone, before she was going to lose Nate. She looked up from her fingers where she was playing with and she saw Nate getting out of the booth.

"Nate" She mumbled and she also got out, quickly walking after him. He reached for the door and he opened it, making a soft breeze hit their faces and he was about to walk out but Miley caught him by his elbow. "Nathan" She said again, but this time louder and he looked down at her, he had tears in his eyes. "Can you promise me that?" He whispered and he completely turned back to her "Can you promise me that you'll try to be happy?" Miley swallowed a lump down her throat and slowly took her hand of his elbow. She stared down at the ground while chewing on her bottom lip and the door opened wider by her silence. "I'm going home" Nate said before walking out into the pouring rain. "No Nate" She stammered and she pushed her hand against the glass door stepping outside but he was already getting in his car. She watched him drive away sadly as the rain fell all around her, wetting her hair and clothes but she didn't dare to move.

Demi walked out of the restroom and she sighed deeply, she slipped her phone in her back pocket and walked back to the booth where they were sitting. She was happy to see that Joe and Selena weren't there anymore but she frowned in confusion when she saw that Miley and Nate were either. She grabbed her bag and also grabbed Miley's bag and she pushed the glass door open, seeing Miley stand in the middle of the parking lot in the pouring rain. Demi opened her mouth a bit and she wanted to tell her to come back inside but she decided against it. Instead she walked over to her best friend and wrapped her arm around her when she reached her "Miley, are you okay?" Miley turned her head to the side to look back at her and smiled softly "I will be… How's Griffin?" Demi smiled back weakly and nodded "He's good" Miley narrowed her eyes a little at her when she sensed that something was wrong "And how are you?" Demi shrugged her shoulder lightly before shaking her head. She bit her bottom lip and took her arm back. "I'm sorry… let's go home" Miley grabbed her best friends hand and with heavy hearts they walked over to Demi's car.

…

Nate opened the front door and he was faced by the big, empty and silence house. He was suddenly feeling lonely and he just wanted his parents there. He closed the door behind him and moved up the stairs slowly. He was completely drained because of the rain so he walked into his bathroom, slipped out of his clothes and went to take a shower.

_Nate walked out of his bathroom that was connected to his room with a towel around his waist and he ran his fingers trough his hair. He heard someone giggle and run out of the room and when he turned to see who it was he saw Riley run out of his room, she was Emily's best friend. "Em" He said pointing to his door where Riley just disappeared trough and he looked at his laughing sister. "What was she doing in my room?" Emily clammed her hands onto her stomach and sat up again, wiping a few tears away that formed in the corners of her eyes from her laughter "We were waiting for you. Anyway, I need a favor my beloved brother" _

"_I knew it" He rolled his eyes and walked into his bathroom with a pair of boxers in his hands "What is it Emily?" He came out and grabbed his jeans, putting them on. "You know that there's this party tonight from David right?" Emily got of his bed and grabbed his guitar that was standing on it's stand. Nate was looking trough his closet searching for his Nirvana shirt "Yeah what about it? Hey, have you seen my Nirv-" He turned around to Emily and saw her wearing his shirt "Emily, what did I tell you about wearing my clothes?" She shrugged his shoulders and was strumming on his guitar "Hey, it's not my fault that we both wear medium" Nate groaned and shook his head, pulling another shirt out of his closet and pulling it over his head "So what about that party?"_

"_Right" Emily said and she stopped strumming on the guitar and put it back. She ran her fingers trough her brown hair which she died a few strands red. "I want to go but mom won't let me…"_

"_So you want me to talk to her about it?" He put his watch on and eyed her while she nodded. "Tell you what, how about we say that we're hanging out tonight. Let's say that we're going bowling. I drop you and Riley of at the party and I pick you up around 12.30" Emily screamed out in excitement and clapped her hands together "You are the best big brother ever" She ran over to him and pulled him in a hug. "No problem Em"_

Nate walked out of his bathroom in his plaid pajama pants and he threw himself on his bed. It was only around six but he was tired and he just wanted to get rid of this feeling. Losing his sister was a horrible loss which affected the whole family. There's a reason why his parents are never home, they keep throwing their selves at work taking every business trip they get offered so they won't have to think about the emptiness that had formed in their hearts now that Emily is gone. _But what about me?_ Nate thought to himself.

…

It was around 8.30 when Miley stepped into her house with a sigh. Today had been dreadful and she was psychically and emotionally exhausted. She walked into the living room and found Greg sitting on the couch in front of the TV. He sighed deeply and muted the volume before looking at her "Look who decided to show up" He put the remote down and waited for Miley to say something. She just shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms "What do you want me to say?" He got up bewildered "Oh, I don't know, maybe where you have been for the past couple of days?" He ran his fingers trough his hair "Miley, I had no idea where you were, I was worried about you" Miley shook her head and scoffed "Please, I told you that I was with Demi, I went to school and now I'm back home. It's not like you care" She dropped her bag on the other couch "Are you really going there again Miley? Would I have called and texted you a million time if I didn't care?"

"You pretended like I didn't exist when mom died so how do you expect me to believe you when you say that you care? Don't you get it? I don't trust you anymore" She had raised her voice at him and she found him staring back at her with wide eyes "You did it to yourself. I was fourteen when I lost my mother and all you did was lock yourself up. You have got to try a lot harder then calling me when I'm not home" She grabbed her bag again and ran out of the living room up to her own room. Greg ran his hands over his face and he moved up the stairs also "Miley?" He knocked on her door and opened it, he saw his daughter lying on her bed with her face in her pillows, and she looked so timid and oh so small. "Smiley…" Miley shot up and got of her bed walking over to him "Do not call me that, only mom could call me like that" She gritted trough her teeth with tears visible in her eyes.

"Miley, instead of shutting me out just tell me what's bothering you" He leaned of the doorway and walked closer to her, placing both of his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him pushing her tears back and she walked out of his grip "You want to know what's bothering me? Do you? Do you really want to know what's on my mind?" She questioned and she was anxiously waiting for his response. "Yes" A small smile played on his face thinking that they would finally have a heart to heart that they both needed so much. Miley pushed her fingers in her hair and started to scream from the top of her lungs. With all the hurt and anger locked up inside it felt good to scream it out. Greg stared at her astonished but he couldn't move as he looked at his daughter completely freaking out. She screamed louder and threw everything that was standing on her cabinet next to the door to the ground. He stepped back trying not to get hit by any of the stuff and when he looked up he got a door slammed in his face.

…

Demi spread her arms as she walked on the sidewalk slowly, she took step by step and it was moving a little and her view was blurry but she had a smug smile on her face. She was feeling warm and tingly inside and she was lightheaded but she was feeling great. She looked up from her feet and saw that she passed the house she was supposed to go to "Oops" She spoke out loud and she giggled afterwards. "Here we go" She twirled and almost fell over her feet but she stayed up. She walked back to the house and she rang the doorbell. It took way too long for her liking so she leaned her head against the doorway and closed her eyes, humming to a song that she heard on the radio before she left home.

Joe opened the door and looked down at Demi who was humming to a song. He raised his eyebrow "Demi? Are you drunk?" He asked but she just raised her finger indicating him to wait and she finished humming the song. "So…" She leaned of the doorway and moved her fingers to his chest, her glossy brown eyes now turning to pitch black and with a cold hard glance in them "You're a son of a bitch Joseph. Have you ever thought about how much you were hurting me when you choose Selena over me? Do you have any idea how heart broken I was? How many nights I have cried myself to sleep because of you?" She slurred her words and got pulled inside by him "Come on, let's go upstairs to talk" He pulled her towards the stairs and she struggled against it but he kept walking up.

"Upstairs to talk? Yeah right" But she followed him up anyway and found him sitting on his desk chair "I'm not a slut like Selena Joe" She let herself fall down on his bed and curled herself up in a ball, gripping on his pillow tightly. Joe sighed and ran his fingers trough his hair while he looked down at his homework "Don't… don't talk about her like that" Demi got tears in her eyes when he defended her like that, he was supposed to talk about her like that. She sniffed and closed her eyes tightly "Fuck, so you do have a heart huh?" She cuddled closer into his pillow and she could feel her body getting taken over by sleep. Joe slammed his hand on his desk and let out a shaky breath "Is that what you came here for Demi, to yell at me?" She let out a sigh and murmured a soft 'no' but Joe heard her anyway "Then what did you came here for?" He turned towards and saw that she fell asleep. His anger faded away in an instant and a small smile formed on his face, he got up and slowly moved his blanket over her. He stared at her and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Night beautiful"

…

Miley was showered and dressed when she quietly moved down the stairs, the feeling of guilt trailing behind her but it also felt like a huge package has been lifted from her shoulders. She walked into the kitchen and found her father making breakfast. He turned around to her and smiled slightly "Hey, I'm making eggs, you want some?" She widened her eyes a little in surprise but she nodded anyway. She was expecting him to be pissed of at her. She did throw things around her room and slammed the door in his face. She kept glancing at him thoughtfully, trying to find something that would give away that he actually is angry. But she couldn't find anything so she decided to speak.

"What happened? Like what… what was that yesterday?" She asked nervously and she chewed on her bottom lip awaiting his reaction "That was healthy" He turned off the stove and moved the eggs on the table. "It was?" Miley stared at him dumbfounded which caused him to laugh a little. "Hey, don't laugh at me" She said with a small smile playing on her face. Greg raised both of his hands "Sorry, but yeah, it was healthy. Miley you haven't been grieving you needed to vent so that is what you did yesterday. I truly believe that you needed that" He lowered his head and nodded at his own words "We all get over things differently, you scream and I lock myself up in the music room, play her piano sometimes… her scent still lingers around lightly" His voice trailed of a little and his eyes watered and then he looked up at Miley to see if she was still okay. "I'm not going inside that room" She murmured before sitting down at the table. "Not when there are so many memories"

…

Demi rolled over in the bed, pulling her pillow along before pressing her head against it again. She let out a long content breath and sniffed the scent that smelled so delicious. A silly smile formed on her face until she realized something. This was not her bed. She shot up and she grabbed her head in the process, everything seemed to be moving out of place and a major headache was forming. She groaned, steadied her vision and looked around the room, spotting Joe sitting on his desk chair while he was looking at her "Oh my god" She muttered under her breath "Fuck"

Joe got up from his chair and walked over to her, sitting on the bed and grabbing a glass of water and an aspirin that he went to get for her from his nightstand "Here you go, you'll need it" She grabbed it from him thankfully and slowly started to sip on the water, she also took the aspirin and when she drank everything up she gave the glass back to him. "What am I doing here?" Joe cocked his eyebrow up and turned on his bed so he was sitting with his back against his headboard just like Demi "You came here drunk and started yelling at me about how heart broken you were because of me…" With every word that he pronounced his voice turned lower, he ended up in a whisper because he knew that she was right. He didn't think about her feelings at all before running of to Selena.

"I'm so sorry for that Demi, I…" He started apologizing but Demi stopped him the second she found out what he was doing. "Oh god, please no, don't do this. Don't go feeling bad about me okay?" She slumped down his bed and moved a pillow over her head "I'm so stupid" He lied down and slowly took the pillow of her head "Stupid for what?" She turned her head so she could look straight in his eyes, they were copying each other's position "For ever liking you" He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, moving his hand over his face "I deserved that" He opened his eyes again and found her staring back at him with a smirk on her face "Yes you did"

It felt so familiar and comfortable, they would lie on his bed for hours and just talk, because that is what best friends do, or did. But then when she lowered her eyes to his lips something that Nate once said to her came rushing right into her mind.

_You know, sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage, just literally 20 seconds of embarrassing bravery, and I promise you something great will come of it. _

So with that in mind she slowly leaned in and pressed her lips against his and she kissed him softly. When she wanted to pull back she felt his hand on her hip and he pulled her closer to him, kissing her back. The twenty seconds were over and this was him reassuring her that he wanted the same. And it was like nothing mattered, it was just the two of them and no one could ruin this moment or take it away from them because it's theirs. Joe slipped his tongue over her bottom lip begging for an entrance which she gave him eagerly but not without a low moan escaping from her lips. She moved her leg over his torso and he pulled her over so she was on top straddling his lap. He kept his hands on her bum but she didn't mind.

He deepened the kiss and a shiver ran down his spine when her cold fingers made contact with his abs. His shirt got lifted up and within a minute it got pulled over his head. Demi started buttoning down the blouse she was wearing but she got her back pressed against the mattress, he was on top. He slowly moved his fingers to her buttons and together they took it of. He gripped her by her hips and he leaned down, pressing a kiss on her stomach and he slowly made a trail up to her bra covered chest. Her breath got stuck in her throat and she let out a moan when he had found her sweet spot. "Joe…" She chewed on her bottom lip and tilted her head back to give more access.

Joe smiled against her smooth skin and he searched for her hand, lacing their fingers together. He moved his lips over hers again and slowly grazed his fingers down her body to her jeans. He opened the button and zipped down the zipper, pulling the jeans down with her help. "Please no hickey's" She breathed out while he was lightly moving his fingertips over her bare legs and then over her thighs. He looked up at her with a cheeky smile on his face and his eyes were shining "Oops" Demi immediately moved her fingers over her sweet spot and sighed "Damn it Joe, yo-" She got rudely interrupted by him kissing her but she didn't mind. His pants flew of eventually and he pressed their bodies together.

Demi could feel his hardness against her center so she let out a whimper and when he noticed that he moved his hands to her thighs and pulled them apart a little and he started rolling against her. She started breathing even heavier and she copied his movements, arching her back every time they met up with each other. Joe grunted lowly and rested his head on the nape of her neck "God" He pressed his lips against her neck "I love you so much" He breathed out. Demi opened her eyes immediately and moved her hand to his chest, pushing him up a little "What did you say?" She looked up in his eyes with seriousness and somewhere also fear was showing.

…

Miley pulled her fathers truck up to the look out mountains but when she got out of it she saw a car that she recognized. The person was lying on the hood of the car and looked up when Miley shut her door. When she saw a bed of curls on top of his head she smiled softly and waved at him. He smiled back at her and patted the spot next to him before lying down again. Miley took a deep breath and slowly started walking over to his car. She climbed on the hood and lied down next to him. "I promise" She said instantly "I promise to try to be happy but…"

"But?" Nate asked curiously "But I'm going to need your help" She stammered and she looked over at him. He smiled brightly at her and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together. He brought his hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles "I'm here for you"

**So after two weeks here it is and because it took so long I made it extra long. I have never written a chapter as long as this on in my life. SO, is this the start of an epic love story? And the start of a heated love triangle? Or is it a love square since Griffin is also envolved? What about family? I really hope you guys like this one, I'm pretty proud of it so let me know. Thank you loads for your amazing feedback, you guys are amazing!**


	8. Insanity

_Joe grunted lowly and rested his head on the nape of her neck "God" He pressed his lips against her neck "I love you so much" He breathed out. Demi opened her eyes immediately and moved her hand to his chest, pushing him up a little "What did you say?" She looked up in his eyes with seriousness and somewhere also fear was showing._

Joe leaned down and kissed her lips softly, letting it linger. He pushed himself up and stared down at the girl that he loved. Her hair was an absolute mess, she had hickeys on her neck and her lips were swollen because of him. She couldn't have been looking more beautiful. "I love you" He whispered and he let their bodies melt together again while his hands made his way over to her back, clasping over her bra clap. Demi shook her head and placed her hand over his chest but she moaned loudly when he circled his hips against her again, moving her hand to his back instead. She bit her bottom lip and tried to clear her mind while he slowly took her basic nude coloured bra off.

Joe's breath got caught in his throat as he looked at the marvellous view underneath him "You're gorgeous" He stammered out as he slowly grazed his fingertips over her breast. A shiver ran down her spine with the contact of his cold fingers. She was fighting for air and she gasped when he softly clenched his teeth around it. "Joe? Joe, Joe, Joe…" She breathed out hastily. It didn't matter how much she enjoyed this, she just couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that washed over her as Griffin's face flashed trough her mind when she arched her back and rolled her eyes back with another amazing feeling Joe gave her. And then she thought about Selena. "Joe" She said again this time hoarsely.

"Hmm…?" He moved his lips from her chest to her own lips and kissed her softly. "Joe" She pushed him away from her but he leaned down again "Joe, I mean it" She warned and she pushed once again. This time he sat up and stared down at her confused "What?" He asked unknowingly. Demi bit her bottom lip hard and threw her hands over her face, trying her hardest to keep the tears in that were forming "Get the fuck of me Gray" She yelled before she let out a heartbreaking sob. Joe quickly did as she demanded him too and he reached over to touch her shoulder but she slapped his hand away. It was at that moment that she realized that she was exposed to him so she quickly clutched her hands around the sheets and pulled them up over her chest.

"I'm so stupid" She mumbled to herself while she was trying to put her clothes back on as quickly as possible. The fact that her hands were trembling and her whole body was shaking weren't helping, neither was Joe who was staring her down while she did. She just wanted to get out of there right now. "Demi, come here" He patted the spot next to her on his bed "Come talk to me" He practically begged before she fled out of his bedroom, almost tripping over her bag because of the hurry. He shot up from his bed and ran after her catching her arm before she even got the chance to hit the first step of the stairs "There's nothing to talk about, don't you get it?" She yelled while she pushed him away from her violently "You stay away from me Joe Gray" She pointed her index finger at him before turning around to run down the stairs. "Demi just talk to me" He ran after her only in his boxers and he was glad when he saw that his parents weren't home. "Demi-" He got cut off rudely by the slam of the door when she closed it behind her. And there he stood, alone, as the girl that he loved slipped trough his fingers once again.

-x-

Nate and Miley have been sitting on the hood of his car for about an hour now, just talking about random things, listening to some music that was more playing as a background noise and still with their hands entwined. It just felt comforting knowing that someone is there or you and that had to be the reason why none of them came to think to let go of each other's hand. "Behind the music was on MTV and they were talking about Courtney Love and she was talking about Kurt Cobain so I've been listening to quite a lot of Nirvana these past weeks"

"Really?" Nate turned his head and look at her while she got her glance fixated on the clouds that were high in the sky "I own every single record they brought out, I'm a huge fan" Miley smiled brightly and met up with his gaze "You are so awesome, for real" She looked down at their intertwined hands and bit her bottom lip. "Thank you" He replied with a small smirk on his face "You're not so bad yourself" He watched her lips twitch up in a smile and he had to admit that it suited her well. So from that moment on he made it his mission to make her smile a little more. When Miley looked up again her breath faltered because of how close he was suddenly lying next to her. Normally she would've backed away from the person and ignore the person forever. She would've done the same if the person wasn't Nate and if she wouldn't like his presence which she surprisingly did. They kept gazing into each other's eyes for a while before Nate spoke up.

"What would you do if I would kiss you?" Nate asked genuinely interested in her answer. He had noticed that ever since she slowly started to open herself up to him he had to fight the urge to kiss her soft looking, plump lips. He wanted to know how she tasted and how she would feel against his lips and that set him of because he wasn't used to feeling like this. Not after his little sister did… not after his dear Lucy. He snapped out of his thoughts and found Miley staring back at him with her bottom lip caught between her teeth and she had a confusing look in her eyes "I don't know" She softly whispered as she awaited his next move but all Nate did was roll back onto his back again and he slowly released her hand. He was getting too close too fast again and he was one hundred percent sure that neither one of them needed that in their lives right now.

Miley let out a sigh realizing that the subject was over so she tore her gaze away from him and almost jumped when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She took a deep breath before grabbing her phone and picking up without looking at the caller ID. Nate's eyes were on her and she was well aware of that so she slowly slid of the hood of his car and walked over to her own car that was only a few meters away. It surprised her how their _'relationship'_ had changed in a time span of a little less than 3 days

"Hello?" She spoke into the phone and she sighed in relieve when she heard her best friend talking back "Hey Miles…" Demi spoke a bit hesitant and Miley frowned at her tone, turning her back to Nate when she noticed that he was still watching her "What's wrong? Are you okay?" She questioned immediately, she just knew that that tone couldn't be any good. "Can you do something for me?" Demi asked still a bit hesitant and she chewed on her lip waiting for Miley's answer. When she realized that her silence was her answer she continued to talk "Do you want to go out with me tonight?" She mumbled but she knew that Miley heard her "I know that you're not in the party scene and you don't have to say yes. Really, I understand if you don't want to go but I just need to get my mind of off things" She added quickly and she heard Miley take in a deep breath.

"By drinking it away?" Miley retorted "Sounds good" She said surprising both herself and Demi. She actually needed a night out, drink and forget. Maybe even have some fun. She was now hanging out with the right crowd of people, what could possibly go wrong? "Really? You're amazing. You are seriously the best" Demi exclaimed excited "I'm going to call Nate now okay? Wait, you don't mind if he comes right?" Miley turned back around and found Nate still lying on the hood of his car this time doing something with his phone "I can tell him, he's here with me" Demi fought the urge to ask questions about it and she just nodded, when she catched up on the fact that Miley couldn't see her she spoke up "Great, it's around 4 now can you come over in a hour so we can order some pizza and then get ready together?"

"Perfect, I will see you in an hour. Bye" Miley said her goodbye and hang up before walking back over to Nate "Hey" She said to catch his attention and she indeed did "You feel like going out tonight?"

-x-

Miley was immediately regretting her decision to go out. Finding herself in a stamped crowd of sweaty, drunk people she lost Demi and Nate and she was not amused at all. But hey, she saw the look in her best friend's eyes when she arrived at her house and she just knew that she had to do this for her. Miley took another sip of her strong drink and searched around the crowd for her friends. After a few minutes of searching she gave up and she was about to make her way out of the place when she felt a pair of hands over her hips. She turned around hastily, ready to lash out at the person but she remained calm when she found herself looking up at Nate and Demi – who was standing next to him –.

"Come dance" Demi yelled over the way too loud music and Miley sighed and rolled her eyes at Demi's glossy eyes, she was already tipsy and they have only been here for a little bit over an hour. Nate leaned down without removing his hands from her hips and whispered in her ear. "Come on Miles, let loose" And with that in the back of her mind she grabbed a drink from someone who walked past them, shot it down in one gulp, threw the plastic cup on the ground and she walked out of Nate's grip, grabbing Demi's hand and dancing with her.

She let go of everything that was bothering her and she was genuinely having fun. She was feeling warm and her cheeks had a shade of red. She let her hair loose a few hours ago and her locks were now freely cascading over her shoulders. She stared at Demi and Nate with a bright smile on her face as they danced together. She brushed a strand of her that was clamming against her face away and turned to face the boy – or should she say guy – that was grinding against her. He was very, very cute. She still wondered how Demi managed to get them in, seemingly they weren't twenty-one yet and they were out of town where no one knew who they are, which might be a plus. She shivered a little when the guy pressed a sloppy kiss on her shoulder and she had to fight against the urge to wipe it of, that was her queue to leave and she pointed over to the restrooms, making sure that Demi and Nate saw before making her way over to them.

She walked in and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked confident and aroused and if she looked really close she could see the same girl that was there before she found out her mother had cancer. Who had fun and lived her life. She kind of missed that girl so she was actually glad that Demi dragged her along. She studied her simple black dress that has a zipper on the front that went on till the edge of the dress and she zipped it down a little. It was incredibly hot in there and she had a feeling that they weren't going to be leaving soon. She tousled up her hair a little and almost fell over her feet as she made her way out of the restroom, maybe she had too much too drink and the fact that she was wearing high heels wasn't helping either. But she couldn't actually care less, because tonight, she was free.

Nate had been watching Miley cautiously all night and he had to say that he liked the way she looked. She was barely wearing any make up but she looked gorgeous in her black dress and killer black heels, and then to top it off the most beautiful smile on her face. So when he watched her walk away to the restroom he took that as a chance to go after her. He hadn't been alone with her ever since they arrived and he wanted to know how she was doing. Making sure that Demi was okay he set off to the restroom and he waited against the wall until she came out "Miley" He called out and she snapped her head at him a smile growing on her face when she realized who it was. "Hey, it's hot in here isn't it?" She walked closer to him so she didn't have to yell over the music. Nate nodded in response and pointed over to the lounges that were on the other side of the room "Want to go sit down?" She put her thumbs up and didn't protest when he grabbed her hand and led her to the other side of the room. It kind of felt natural now, holding his hand.

They dropped themselves on the lounge and worked on getting their breaths even. Nate had his arm loosely draped over her shoulder and he looked out into the crowd having a good view on Demi. When he saw that everything was still going fine he looked down at Miley who was staring up at him with glossy eyes and a silly smile on her face "You're looking handsome tonight Nate" She spoke in his ear and pulled back still with that same smile on her face. He couldn't help but slightly blush at the words that escaped her lips, he quickly looked everywhere but her face and noticed that they were the only ones on the lounge and that everyone was out on the dance floor.

When he looked down at her again he leaned down to her ear and said "Thanks, you look gorgeous" He heard her giggled and he dropped his head on her shoulder somewhat feeling a bit embarrassed. Miley moved her hand on top of his curls and let her fingers lace in them. He was sitting so close to him and it was driving him crazy. He once again felt the urge to kiss her and tonight he wasn't planning on letting it slide, maybe it was the alcohol that was speaking and making him feel confident over his case or maybe he just manned up. He didn't really know and he didn't really care he just needed to… _feel_ her. So he placed a soft kiss on her shoulder and when she realized what was going on she untangled her fingers from his hair. He left a trail of butterfly kissed up her jaw until he reached her ear where he whispered in: "What would you do if I would kiss you?"

"Let's find out" Miley replied without any trace of hesitation in her voice and she turned her head so she was facing him before she leaned in and met him halfway. Nate loved the way he felt alive against her lips and he slowly brought his hands to the small of her back where he pulled her closer to him. She pulled away from her and connected her ocean blue eyes with his chocolate brown ones before leaning in again and slightly opening her mouth against his lips as he begged for an entrance. Their first kiss wasn't romantic at all, they were both sweaty and drunk and they were sitting on a corner of a club pressed against each other but they couldn't wish for other circumstances at the moment. Miley felt amazing in Nate's arm and he just kept wanting more so he deepened the kiss as their tongue's danced together. When he pulled away from her she still had her eyes closed and he waited patiently until she would open them again so he can stare back at her, so he smiled when she did.

"That was…" She whispered softly but Nate heard her loud and clear. "Amazing"

"It was" He responded and he pecked her lips sweetly "Should we get out of here?" He nodded towards Demi who looked around as if she had no idea where she was and Miley giggled at the sight before lifting herself of the lounge and she walked over to her best friend with Nate right behind her tail "Come on sweetie, let's go home" She grabbed Demi's arm and wrapped it around her shoulder as Nate grabbed her around her waist and they carried her out together.

-x-

When Demi woke up the following morning she wasn't happy at all. Her phone had blown up with missed calls and text messages – after she turned her phone back on – from no one other then Joe Gray himself. To make it even worse she got this very sweet text from Griffin. She groaned to herself and glared at Miley for being a very heavy sleeper so she didn't wake up when Demi got all of the texts. She groaned once again when she felt a headache coming up so she slowly got out of her bed – praying to God that her parents and little brother weren't at home to see her in this horrible state – and she made her way over to her medicine box in the bathroom. When she took the medicine she walked down the stairs while scrolling trough the text messages that Joe had send her and she let out a sigh. She wish she could say that she wasn't thinking clear when, what ever it was that happened, happened but she would be lying if she did. She could only imagine the look on Selena's face when Joe would break the news to her.

She tightly closed her eyes when she felt tears well up in her eyes again. What about when she would break the news to Griffin. So can keep it from him, he lives halfway around the world how could he possibly find out but she couldn't do that to him. She couldn't hurt him even more then she already did before so she made the decision to break it of with him as soon as she got the chance too. She dropped her head in her hands and let out a shaky breath wondering how she got herself into that mess. And there she was sitting on the cold kitchen floor with her knees up against her chest, her head on top of it crying her eyes out while her hair was a mess and she felt horrible because of the hangover and because of the damage that she's going to cause to other people. She managed to calm herself down when she heard some movement coming from upstairs and she quickly lifted herself up from the floor and started to make some coffee for her and Miley.

After her trip to the bathroom – which she made just in time – she looked around her best friend's room. She walked over to the wall that was full with pictures and smiled when she saw one of them after one of the school trips, looking further and ignoring the major headache that was coming up she found herself staring at a picture of Demi and Joe. It was the day that he came back from Aruba where he had been for four weeks and they had waited on his porch until he would arrive back home. They were so close a few years ago. Miley, who took pictures of everything at that time, wanted to capture a picture of Demi and Joe together. Demi had her arm wrapped around his torso and she looked up at him with such an adoring look that it surprised Miley when she looked at it now. Demi looked so sure about the way she felt about him at that picture and she was just thirteen years old. Miley quickly tore her gaze away from the picture and it landed on another, a more recent one. The picture was taken in the rain that they that they went to the diner where Joe and Selena were sitting too. Miley was sitting on Nate's back with her arms tightly gripped around his neck, laughing while Nate had his arms spread making himself ready to spin them around.

Nate.

She closed her eyes at the thought of his name and everything that happened last night came rushing back into her mind. He kissed her. She slowly moved two fingers over her lips and it felt as if she could still feel his over hers. A small smile formed on her face but it was gone as soon as it came when she realized in what state she was in when the kiss had happened. She was drunk and vulnerable and she had no idea about what was going on. She dropped her hand and it rested against her body while she started to resent Nate for what happened the night before. She had no idea who kissed who first but he didn't stop her and that was what angered her the most. She probably didn't have the right to be mad at him at all but she couldn't help it. He made her feel certain things that she had kept locked away ever since her mother died, she let her guard down and she was not fond of that idea. So she did what she does best, she isolated herself.

She quickly pulled on her jeans and wide shirt that she had packed the day before when she decided that she was going to stay over at Demi and she ran her fingers trough her hair as she stomped her way down the stairs. She had a pokerface and a hard cold glance in her eyes and she was about to make her way out of Demi's house to go to Nate when Demi was suddenly standing in front of her. Demi not noticing the look in Miley's eyes, quivered her bottom lip as she let out a sob while she whispered "I hooked up with Joe" Miley wasn't even close to fazed when those words escaped her best friend lips, she wasn't even sure if she heard them straight all she cared about in that moment was about herself and her own feeling, so being the selfish person that she always became when she isolated herself she brushed her way past Demi without even looking at her and making her way to her father's truck as Demi was left alone staring as she drove of.

**Okay, I did not expect this chapter to turn out like this, at all. I'm not so sure what I think about it but I don't want to change it either… I know I'm complicated I can't even figure myself out. Anyway, let me know what you think about it. I'd love to hear it : ) sorry if there are any mistakes and thank you for reading!**


	9. Snap

Demi chewed on the inside of her cheek and tightly closed her eyes. She saw the look in her best friend's eyes, she looked so isolated, so far gone. She opened her eyes again and sucked in a breath as she made her way up the stairs. She walked into her room and grabbed her phone from her nightstand. She slowly sat on her bed and stared down at her phone.

_'Are you really going to do this?'_

_'Are you really going to break up with your amazing boyfriend for Joe?'_

She placed her phone away from her and pulled up her knees. She rested her chin on them and took deep and long breaths. She could feel tears well up in her eyes and she bit her bottom lip hard. Staring down at her phone again, the answer to her question came in mind.

_'Yeah, yes I am' _

-x-

She was too angry to drive so she let the car on Demi's driveway. She couldn't believe what had happened. Why did he kiss her? Why did he kiss her like that? Like nothing else mattered? Miley stopped walking when she noticed that she was shaking from anger and she wasn't exactly breathing normally either. She looked around and found herself at a park, a park not so far away from Nate's house. She took a deep breath and sat herself down on the swing set. She took her phone out and send a quick text to Nate, asking him if he could meet her. This way it would be under her conditions. She waited patiently until he would arrive and when he did her breath got stuck in her throat. With each step he took closer to her anger seemed to come back. Miley rose on her feet and pointed to his guitar that was hanging around him. She met him halfway and glared at him "What is that?" Nate looked down at his guitar before staring back up at her with curious eyes and a half smile on his face "This is a guitar, Miley"

_Was he seriously mocking me?_ Miley thought while she stared at him with her mouth agape, him being laid back like this was sure as hell annoying her. "I know what a guitar is Nate, but why did you bring it with you?" He moved the strap so his guitar was hanging in front of him and he started strumming a song, all without taking his eyes off of her "I thought that maybe I could teach you song" She crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at his guitar before trailing her way back to his face. He was still wearing that smile on it "I don't play"

"Sure you do, you started playing the guitar when you were about eight years old, am I right?" He stopped playing and pulled the strap over his head so he could hand his guitar over to Miley. "I don't play anymore Nate and you know that" She gently placed the guitar back in his hands and sighed deeply. "See it as therapy maybe it can help you if you start playing again"

"As therapy?" Miley screamed at his face while she balled her fists, pissed off "I'm not-"

"Crazy?" Nate finished for her while he looked straight into her, now dark blue, eyes, the tension was way up high but he wouldn't stop until he made his point. "I know that you aren't Miley" he watched her expression soften a bit and her eyes turned from cold to confused "I go to therapy, four times a week actually, my therapist sits in his chair to catch up some sleep because he just got a little one. She's beautiful baby girl but the noise she makes when they're all trying to sleep is unbearable. So he sleeps and I play the guitar softly, but we also have those days where things are really, really bothering me and he's there to listen to me. It's weird actually, for me it is easier to vent to a stranger you know. He won't judge or hold things against you, he's just there and that is something that I think, everyone needs. But just because I go to therapy four days a week doesn't mean that I am crazy" He exclaimed and when she kept quiet for a few minutes he sighed and just hoped that she finally got what he had been trying to prove "But I bet that wasn't what you wanted to talk about"

Miley snapped out of her deep thoughts, you know these thoughts you get but you lock them away in the back of your mind? Well the box opened and everything was spiralling trough her mind. She looked up at Nate with big eyes as she tried to remember why she wanted to talk to him in the first place. "Why did you kiss me?" She whispered softly but she was sure that he heard her because he sucked in a breath. He moved his arm up and scratched the back of his neck before stuffing both of his hands in his jeans pocket. "Because…" He mumbled while he looked down at the grass beneath his feet. He would be lying if he would say that it was a spur of the moment thing because it honestly wasn't. He had lied awake because of that damn kiss because he couldn't get his finger on it why he wanted her so badly that moment. He would also be lying if he said that he wasn't attracted to her but maybe… maybe it was more than _just_ being attracted to her. He slowly moved his eyes up to her face and she was waited for his answer. The silence was unbearable but she needed to know. She needed to know why her, when he could have any other girl.

Nate licked his bottom lip and quickly pulled his guitar to his back again before taking one step to Miley. He draped one arm around her waist and he moved his other hand to the back of her head and he leaned in, softly kissing her on her plump lips. She felt tense under him and he cursed himself when she didn't seem to relax. But then he felt her small hands on his back and she slowly started to kiss him back. Nate released his hand from the back of her head and secured his arm around his other so she was locked in his grip. Miley slowly moved her arms around his neck and she slightly tippy toed so she could deepen the kiss. She wondered why she was angry with him because no one had succeeded to make her forget everything that has been going on in her life with just one touch or one look or one kiss.

Nate slowly traced his tongue over her lips and she opened her mouth for him immediately, letting out a low moan which made him smile against her lips. She smiled too and slowly pulled back to look at him. She bit her bottom lip and started blushing when he winked at her. "I uhmm… I hope this answered your question" He spoke up and they both laughed a little.

"It did"

-x-

Okay, maybe coming here wasn't a good idea after all. And maybe acting like he is acting right now – telling that he wants to try things out with Selena, but actually loving Demi – isn't exactly the good way. He couldn't help himself he just needed to see her, especially after the way they left things. He was glad when he didn't found her parent's car in the driveway so they could talk without being interrupted, so he waited patiently until she would open the door for him. A few seconds after that the door indeed open, revealing a pretty much broken Demi. She had red puffy eyes and she was still in her pyjamas – red shorts and a simple black tank top – her hair was up in a messy bun and normally Joe would find her cute but now he was worried so he stepped closer to her only to have her taking a step back.

Demi took a few deep breaths as she tried to calm herself. Breaking up with Griffin was harder than she thought. She just wanted to close her eyes and wake up over a few years where everyone already forgot what was happening around this time, but she couldn't. "What are you doing here?" She gritted trough her teeth as she tried to keep in a sob. Joe took a step closer to her again and also this time, she stepped back. "Demi please just let me hold you" He spoke desperately and with sad eyes. He didn't like seeing her this way, not one bit, and the fact that he is probably the reason for it made him feel like a jerk even more. "I don't want you to hold me" She yelled at his face, finally letting her anger out "I want you to leave me the fuck alone and just… just disappear or something because you are killing me Joseph. You are ruining my life" Her voice had cracked and she found herself sitting on her knees on the ground while she cried and cried. She pushed her hair back with her fingers and she could feel his presence next to her "Just leave"

"What do you mean with that I'm killing you? What did I do?" He said with a shaky voice, she looked so timid and so small and he didn't know what to do or say so he had closed the door and placed himself on the floor next to him. She shifted away from him and this time he didn't move closer to her, but he did keep his eyes fixated on her. A silence had filled the hall and Demi's sobs were heard and so was Joe's heavy breathing.

"You're killing me by putting me into this position Joe. You're expecting me to be okay with us being together while you're with Selena and I was with Griffin. I'm not a cheater, I'm not a cheater and you made one of me and it hurts even worse then when you walked away from me and choose Selena. I should be happy because you finally want me back but it isn't fair" Demi had raised her voice again but not that much. It took her a few minutes but she finally dared to look at him again. "You might think that it's okay to go around and break people's hearts but it is not. And this is not just about you and I Joe. There's also Selena and… and Miley. She's my best friend and I can't accept what you did to her because I have never heard you say that you are sorry because of the shit you made her go trough"

Joe stared at her blankly while she vented to him. It may look like he wasn't there and that the words were entering one ear and leaving the other but it wasn't like that. He was there and the words that were leaving Demi's lips were hitting him like a ton of bricks.

She was now up on her feet, her arms around herself as if she was trying to keep herself together "So until you decide to man up and apologize and actually figure out what you want then maybe I can consider letting you in again. I'm going to ask you one more time" She opened her front door and looked down at him again "Leave" She finished. Joe slowly nodded and her and rose on his feet with a heavy heart. He was suddenly feeling so tired. She was right, he was right about everything. His heart wanted her, he was positive about that, or maybe he wasn't… He frowned to himself and slowly walked over to her. He stopped in front of her and cupped her face "Wait for me?" He needed to know that she would still be there after all the thinking that he obviously needed to do.

Demi moved her hands over his and removed them from her face "I'm sorry but I'm not going to promise you that" it was as soft as a whisper. A strand of hair got blown in her face because of the soft spring wind that was blowing outside.

He wanted to cry at her words and he wanted to cry because she seemed so wise compared to him, she seemed so perfect compared to him, so beautiful, he wanted to cry because the chance was there that he had ruined it completely and he wanted to cry because she finally realized that he's cruel and that she's not going to let him use her. He stepped back and fixated his eyes on the ground. He wanted to tell her one last thing but he didn't know what, his mind was all over the place and it felt like he lost the ability to speak. So he left in silence and he winced when he heard her front door close behind him. He messed up… he messed up so bad.

-x-

_The rain was heavily ticking on the window and Nate let out a bored sigh. He was strumming on his guitar while he was sitting on the ground, his back resting against his bed. He stopped strumming and leaned forward to grab the glass of orange juice that was standing in front of him. He took a sip and sighed contently before placing the glass back. He started strumming again and a few minutes later he heard his door open, but he didn't look up. He heard soft footsteps on his carpet. They were making their way over to his bed. Nate stopped strumming when her arm had stretched out, placing a hot cup of coffee next to him "Thanks sis" He looked up at her and found her smiling at her_

_"No problem" Emily exclaimed and she held up some vinyls that she had lied down on his bed "Can I put them on?" She held up a vinyl from __**White Snake**__ and Nate chuckled "You listen to __**White Snake**__?" He asked curiously and she giggled with him "Nope, but I found them in some old boxes from dad and I liked the name" Emily hopped of his king sized bed and made her way over to his record player and putting on the vinyl. She walked back to her bed and sat down Indian style with her own cup of tea in her small hands. "I thought you were going out with your friends, aren't you supposed to get ready?"_

_"Yeah, I probably should" Nate took a sip of his coffee and smiled at her afterwards "But I'd much rather stay at home and spend the day with my little sister" She smiled back at him and nodded "You said that we were going to play Black Ops one day" Nate grinned again before standing up and putting his PlayStation 3 on "Watch and learn little sis" _

Nate snapped out of his thoughts and he let out a sigh, he was really missing her lately. He took out his phone and started texting his mom to ask her when they would be coming back. Miley got of the phone with her dad and walked back into the spacious living room "That was my dad. He wants me to eat dinner at home" She let herself fall down on the black leather couch and looked at Nate while he typed something on his phone. He put it away and looked up at her, pouting "But then I have to eat dinner alone" She lifted her finger and poked him on his side "That face won't work on me mister and… you never told me why your parent's are always away" at that exact moment the doorbell rang and Nate immediately got up, but Miley noticed the look of relieve he got. Maybe it was a soft spot for him, too personal. But that wouldn't be fair because there are so many things that he knows about her while he remains a mystery to her. She heard a lot of noises coming from the hall so she got up and walked towards it, her curiosity taking over. She looked around the corner and saw a people petite girl with long brown curly locks and big chocolate brown eyes. She looked like she was in panic but Nate didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, come inside. I want you to meet M-" Nate started, but the girl looked away and he shut up, finally realizing that something was wrong.

Miley couldn't hear clear about what they were talking about so she slowly moved into the hall.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" Nate asked with concern in his voice and something else that made Miley frown, but she didn't exactly know what it was.

"I'm pregnant" The girl – who was apparently named Lucy – spoke up quickly. Miley stopped dead in her track but her shoes squeaked on the marble floor so Nate immediately turned round. Both Nate and Lucy were looking at her with their big brown eyes, hoping that she didn't hear what they were talking about. So that is what Miley did, she pretended like she didn't hear, for the sake of all of them because she honestly didn't want to know. She was just hoping that she was his best friend back where he lived before.

"Miley, this is-" He placed his arm around Lucy and smiled weakly at her "This is Lucy, she was my uhmm… girlfriend before I moved here" Miley tried her best to keep in her gasp so she just sucked in a sharp breath and nodded slowly "Oh, oh, I ummm, I'm Miley" She stepped forward quickly and wanted to shake her head but she felt like it would be too formal so she just stood there awkwardly. "I should go" She broke the awkward silence.

"No, no, no" Lucy shook her head and got out of Nate's grip and stepped back towards the front door "I am going"

"No! I was just making my way out anyway" _Lie._ Miley tried to make it sound spontaneous but she completely failed in it. So this is what happens when you open up to someone and ignore you best friend because of a stupid kiss, karma's coming to hit you straight in the face. She saw the look that Nate gave her. He looked at her with squinted eyes, knowing that she was lying. "Seriously, it's okay" _Another lie_. "I need to talk to my best friend. She wasn't feeling so well when I left her house" _Truth._ Miley quickly grabbed her coat. "It was nice to meet you Lucy" She practically ran out of his house, the strange part was that normally he would run out after her and now he didn't even try because she heard the front door close behind her as soon as she was out of the house. She was feeling like an idiot because of the whole situation.

She thought about isolating herself again but then she remembered Demi. She had shut her out completely because she was so angry at Nate. She's now officially the worst best friend in the world. Miley took in a deep breath and started her walk back to Demi's place.

What a shitty day.

**So sorry if there are any mistakes! Thank you so much for your feedback and stay tuned for more : )**


	10. Friendship

"How many does a woman need?" Nate murmured to himself while he bit his lip and stood in front of the pregnancy tests in a store. Lucy was standing next to him with her small hand protecting her stomach. Nate was throwing some glances at her belly as if a monster was inside her and she didn't like it one bit.

She looked at him trough her long black eyelashes and she smiled softly at the sight. His intense look, his slightly rosy coloured cheeks and his wild curls which he had ran his fingers trough several times. She missed him a lot and she didn't intend to invade his life here, she didn't want that. She was just scared when she found out so she stepped inside her car and made the ten hour drive without any stops. She didn't sleep because she couldn't and it was hitting in her face right at this moment. So she wrapped her arm around Nate's torso and leaned her head against her chest while she closed her eyes "I already told you that I took two tests back at home. I'm not lying Nate, can't be just go back to your place?" She whispered tiredly while she also brought her other arm around him.

Nate looked down at his ex girlfriend and felt bad for her. She looked different then normal, her normally cheerful brown eyes were almost dull and she looked like she hasn't slept for days. But then again, she just found out that she's pregnant and she drove here immediately. He tore his gaze away from Lucy and back to the numerous pregnancy tests in front of him and he picked out four different ones "I just want to be sure"

Lucy immediately opened her eyes at his words and she couldn't help but feel offended at them. She released her grip on him and looked up at him with her big Bambi brown eyes in disgust. She extended her hand, palm facing upwards "Give me the keys, I'll wait in the car" She waited impatiently while he dug trough his pocket and gave her the keys. She clenched her jaw and gave him one last look before turning around on the heels of her worn out Converse and walking out of the store onto the parking lot.

Nate sighed and ran his long piano fingers trough his curls while he moved to the line. His eyes wandered to the parking lot where he saw Lucy kicking his tires, pissed of. She looked up at the sky and covered her face with her hands. By the way her body was trembling he knew that she was crying and even though it was a heart shattering scene he couldn't seem to look away.

How could everything turn upside down in such a short amount of time? He went from beating the jock from school, to getting an internal suspension, to going out with Demi and Miley, to kissing Miley twice and then his ex girlfriend turned up on his doorstep claiming to be pregnant. He couldn't do this. He can't become a father, he's eighteen years old? How will they manage to have a baby? He was positive that if she decides to keep it – which she probably will – that she wants to be close to her family so he would have to move back, but he doesn't want that. He has a new life here. Back at home everyone knows what happened to Emily and there are just too many memories there and beside here he has Demi who's an amazing, clever girl and then there's Miley and Miley is… Miley is complicated, secretive but she's also bubbly and talented as she has got an amazing smile and voice.

He got snapped out of his thoughts when the cashier asked for the money for the test, not without giving a disapproving glare of course but Nate ignored it. He picked up the tests and walked out of the store, over the parking lot and to his car. Lucy was now sitting in it and she looked as if she wasn't crying her eyes out a few minutes earlier, but Nate knew better.

"You're a jerk Nathan, I am seriously disgusted by you right now" Lucy gritted trough her teeth as she stared at him with a rather cold glare.

Nate furrowed his eyebrows together and turned the engine of again "Excuse me? How come you're mad at me?"

"Because you just assume that I'm lying to you about something as big as being pregnant. I would never lie to you, especially not about something this serious. And you're looking at me with such judgement and like there's a monster growing inside of me" This time she had raised her voice but she also started crying again. "And if you just would've listened to me every time I tried to start talking about it you'd know that it isn't your baby"

Nate looked up from his hands that were tightly gripped around his steering wheel and he stared at her in relieve but also confused "But if the baby isn't mine then-"

"Why am I here?" She finished for him already knowing what he was going to ask. He nodded slowly "Because you weren't just my boyfriend Nate. You were also my best friend so when I get scared and I feel like I have nowhere to go I think of you. So that's why I'm here because I needed my best friend" She closed her eyes tightly and leaned her head back to the seating of the car seat

"Lucy…"

"Just bring me back to your house Nate. I'm going home" She buckled her seat belt and stared out of the window while he backed out of the parking lot and hit the road.

* * *

Miley suppressed her emotions like a bath toy that had to be kept under water, because she was afraid that they would get the upper hand. Afraid that her sadness and anger would be a tidal wave that would sweep her if she dared to face her emotions. She didn't know how to deal with such things. She could be hollow and numb or she could open the closed door to her heart and become insane. And for the first time in a very long time she decided to do neither of those. She decided to just be there for her best friend and that was what she had in mind when she knocked on Demi's door.

Demi pulled herself of the floor in the kitchen where she was sitting after Joe left. Her parents and little brother were coming home later tonight so she was wondering who it was. She stepped into the hall and hesitated about opening the door or not. Maybe it was be Selena. Joe could've told her what had been going on between them. Then she heard another knock on the door and she decided to just open it. She walked closer to the white hardwood door and opened it slightly, peeking her head around it only to find her best friend.

"I was thinking that you needed a friend" Miley softly spoke as she watched Demi open the door wider for her "If you still consider me as one of course"

Demi looked at Miley with a soft smile on her face. She was so grateful to have a friend as Miley. Sure Miley has been dealing with her own problems and sure she's been shutting her out but she is here, right now at this moment when she needs someone the most. No wait, not just someone. She really needed Miley. So she nodded and stepped forward to her, pulling her in a hug "Of course I do. You're the best friend" Demi moved her head a little and placed a quick kiss on her temple before pulling back and walking back inside the house, expecting her to follow.

Miley smiled brightly at how Demi welcomed her with open arms. This is way better then sulking around, thinking about that certain person that had occupied her mind ever since he kissed her. She closed the door behind her and walked into the kitchen. She frowned to herself when Demi was nowhere to be found but when she looked down she found her sitting on the floor Indian style and with a carton of ice cream in her hand. She slightly tilted her head to the side while he looked down at her best friend with caring eyes. She walked over to a drawer, pulled it open and took out a spoon before settling herself down next to Demi with her ankles crossing.

Demi stuffed a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth before letting out a sigh and resting her head on her shoulders. She was feeling worn out and tired and she was done crying. There were absolutely no tears left anymore but what happened was still bugging her, she wanted to talk about. She let out another sigh and swallowed the ice cream before she started to talk "Joe was here about an hour ago"

Miley stopped scooping the ice cream on her spoon and noticed that Demi tensed at what he said. Not knowing what to exactly think of the situation she tried to get it out of her subtle. "Oh was he now?"

"Miley, he was practically saying that it was okay for us to cheat as long as we're together. That's insane. Oh and did I mention that we almost had sex? If he didn't tell me that he loves me we would've had sex. I can't believe I actually fell for it" Demi spoke quickly but in a whisper. She was already bad for breaking up with Griffin for Joe and now that Joe cheated on Selena made her feel even worse.

"Wait what?" Miley widened her eyes as she listened carefully to her best friend's words "He told you that he loves you?"

Demi looked down at the carton of ice cream and lightly nodded.

"Are you sure that he said _'I love you'_ instead of _'I loved you'_?"

"Pretty sure"

"Oh…'" Miley answered. She wanted to slap herself in her face for that being the only thing that could leave her mouth. She didn't know what to say other then that Joe was telling the truth, he doesn't have a great way of showing it though. Her friend was hurting and she had no idea what to do what made her feel like a complete idiot. If it was her in the same position Demi would've come up with a million things to make her feel better. Miley just didn't know how to be that person and to actually do it. So it stayed quiet in the kitchen while they munched on the Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream.

* * *

Nate drove up his drive way and he released a sigh when he saw that none of his parents cars were standing in the drive way. He wondered if they even thought about him and his thoughts about them being away all the time. He stopped right in front of the door and before he got the chance to turn of the engine Lucy had jumped out of the car. He stared at her wide eyed as she slammed the passengers door shut and was stomping her way over to her own car that was still on his lane "Jesus" He cursed before quickly turning the engine of and also getting out of his car "Lucy, Lucy wait up" When she didn't stop he grabbed her hand and turned her around "Lucy" He pierced his deep brown eyes into hers.

Lucy held in a breath at his intense stare and she slowly let go of his hands when she seemed to snap out of it. She let out the breath, but kept staring into his eyes "What Nate?"

"I want you to stay" He whispered as his eyes seemed to soften "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry for the way I acted and treated you" He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace, closing his eyes and kissing the top of her head, he felt her relax in his arms "I'm sorry"

"I just don't know what to do" She pulled back a little to look at him and she took a sharp breath "I mean, mom and dad will kill me and the father doesn't even know. He has been calling me the whole day and I just can't handle it to pick up the phone" She rambled, summing up everything that was or could go wrong.

"Lucy, I really think that you should pick up the phone and tell him that you're here. If he decides that he wants to be with you trough this, ask him to come pick you up so you can talk about it in the car. You can't avoid the conversation okay? You have to talk about it because having a baby is something huge. When you've talked it all out you can talk to your parents **_together_**. I can only imagine how scary it is going to be but you have to do it. Just know that I'm here for you" He reassured her while he moved his hands up and down her arms. "Okay?"

"Okay" She softly answered after a few minutes of silence.

"Good" He smiled down at her and started to walk towards his front door, his arm wrapped around her shoulder "What you're going to do now is take a nice long bath and I'll make us some dinner and then you're going to call the guy. Does that sound okay?"

Lucy lightly nodded and wiped the tears away that had formed into her eyes "You're a great friend Nate. I miss you around"

"I miss you too" Nate admitted while he kept his eyes fixated on the ground. When he looked back up he found her climbing up the stairs. He figured that she was going to get in bath so he walked to the kitchen and thought about what to make for them. His thoughts got interrupted when he remembered the way that Miley looked at them before she ran out of his place. He sighed deeply and slowly grabbed his phone out of his pocket. He went to his contacts and stopped at Miley. She's probably pissed at him, just when she opened up to him, something like this happened. But he couldn't just let it rest. He had to talk to her. So with that in mind he pressed on her name and put the phone on his ear, hoping that she would pick up.

**_I'm probably busy, you should leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you… or not._**

He let out another deep sigh and started to get the ingredients that he was going to need. He didn't know how yet, but he was going to assure Miley that he's in for – whatever they have – one hundred percent.

* * *

Selena let out a sigh as she walked trough the school halls with her squad on her left side and Joe's football team on his right. It all seemed meaningless now, the people that they thought they were… they're not. The strong, intelligent and independent persons they thought they were. None of them is like that, and for all she knows the only ones that actually are like that are Miley, Demi and Nate and she couldn't help but envy them for that. She found people glancing their way, they probably had no idea what was going on, what she feeling inside. Put on the uniform, your hair in a ponytail, bunch load of make up and a smile on your face – no one ever cares if it's a real one or not – and you're set.

Selena looked down at her hands that were intertwined with Joe's. He had been quiet the whole morning, only spoke when he thought he had to. She also hadn't heard from him all weekend and that was enough for her. She slowly stopped walking while her eyes trailed to his face. She had to bent trough her knees a little though because his stare was fixated on the ground. "Joe" She softly spoke.

"Is everything all right?" Lily asked as she slowly stepped away from behind Selena and tried to see what's going on. She kept her voice low, she didn't want people to think that they heard something and then start rumours, even though rumours don't really start if it doesn't happen trough them.

Selena took a deep breath and shot Lily a smile "Everything is fine. I just need to spend some alone time with my boyfriend" She tugged on Joe's hand and he finally seemed to snap out of his gaze. "We'll see you guys in class" She turned on the heel of her shoes and started to make her way out of the school with Joe trailing behind her.

"Where are we going Sel?" Joe questioned, completely oblivious to what was happening around him only a few seconds ago. When Selena stopped walking and he saw the look on her face he knew that something was coming. "Is everything okay?"

Selena bit her bottom lip and avoided his gaze while she shook her head "No, no it isn't. But it's going to be"

He frowned at her words, he had no idea what was going on or what she was going to say "What are you talking about?"

"I'm breaking up with you" She stammered out, but this time actually looking at him "You gave me a false promise, you said that you wanted to try but you haven't whatsoever. Besides" She started and she took a deep breath before continuing "I deserve better. I deserve someone who will love me unconditionally, I deserve someone who loves me for me and doesn't make me into a bitch. I deserve someone who loves me and not somebody else. Can't you see it Joe? We've been going around in this cycle, we fight and we make up, there's nothing more left between us, so it's the best if we end this"

Joe stared at her with his mouth slightly agape as the words sunk it. He was ditching her. His eyes widened at the thought and he tried to say something but nothing was coming out. First Demi and now Selena, he was going to be all alone. Nothing that he has achieved means anything without one of them by his side. Thanks to Selena he got into the football team, she pushed him into becoming the captain because she knew that he had potential. And Demi, Demi has taught him so much. All the nights tutoring have most definitely paid of. But Demi has also done more then that, she had changed him emotionally, how he looks at certain things, how he looks at something like love. He swallowed a lump down his throat and he looked up at Selena who was staring back at him with tears falling down her cheeks.

"Tell me that this is the best decision we have ever made" She whispered.

And it was then when his own tears fell but he also couldn't help but chuckle at what she said, it was so sad but trough. "I'm sorry for not treating you in the way that you deserve" He reached over and grabbed her by her hips. Softly pulling her closer to him "I really am sorry" He released her hips and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug.

Selena hugged him back and sniffed "We let it get to our heads. This crazy idea that we are the bests and that we can do anything or that we belonged together, we were wrong because we're like toxic for each other, we were not healthy"

"I know… I guess I need to thank you for doing this?" He pulled back to look at her and he felt a huge weight lift of his shoulder.

"No problem Joseph" She giggled and stepped out of his embrace "I will see you around" She walked away from him but quickly turned back around "Oh, and not that you need my blessing but, if you plan on going after Demi then you should do that, she's good for you" She sealed her words with a nod before turning back around again and walking back into the school.

Joe ran his fingers trough his hair and the bell rang, indicating that his free period came to an end. He realized that he has History next. History is a class that he shares with Demi. He immediately knew what he had to do. He made a quick stop at his locker to get his books before practically running trough the school halls to get to his class. When he stepped in he looked around and found that Demi was already sitting in her seat. A smile grew on his face and he started to make his way up to her, stopping in front of her desk, he leaned down a little and looked her straight in the eyes "You've fought for me all these years. Now I'm going to fight for you, this time I'm all in" He didn't stay to see her reaction, instead he walked further to his seat in the back of the class room. He meant what he said, he really is going to fight for her.

Demi stared into space at the words that had just escaped Joe's lips. She wouldn't have believed him if he didn't sound so sincere. She got snapped out of her thoughts when the teacher started speaking. But she just had to know if he really did mean it. She clenched her bottom lip between her teeth and slowly turned around in her seat to take a glance at Joe who was staring right back at her with deep honest eyes. She quickly turned back around and focused on the notes that her teacher was giving, maybe it wasn't too late for them.

* * *

Nate had thanked the principal a dozen times when he released him earlier because he had some important meetings. Nate was already getting tired of his internal suspension and he really had to talk to Miley, he hasn't seen her all day because he was locked up in the principal's office doing some work. He took out his phone to look at the time, if he remembered correctly she was having a free period this hour. With that in mind he slipped his phone back in his pocket, adjusted his backpack and started on his search for Miley. It was about ten minutes later when he walked around a corner and bumped into her "Miley, I have been looking for you"

"Oh" she answered, already feeling a tad uncomfortable because of the awkward situation that had played. "Here I am what's up?"

"I have called you a few times"

"I know"

"I've been meaning to apologize to you because of what happened with Lucy" His voice trailed of and he saw her stiffen on her place.

Miley clutched onto the book she was holding in her hand and she bit her bottom lip "There's nothing you need to apologize for that. I was just there, nothing more" She wanted to slip past him, really wanting to get out of there.

He grabbed her by the elbow and turned her around so they were facing each other again "Still I do feel like I owe you an apology. We had a moment and then it was ruined and I didn't even run out after you"

Miley clenched her jaw at his words and she looked in his eyes "I'm not your girlfriend Nate, I just happened to be there" She didn't understand why he was pushing this. She had made such a great job at not thinking about it, about **_him_**. As for her surprise she suddenly felt his lips on hers. She let out a sigh and quickly stepped closer to him, wanting to feel his touch.

Nate pulled back after a little while but he rested his forehead on hers "Take this leap in faith with me Miley"

Miley softly smiled and shook her head "I don't do faith Nathan"

He let out a sigh and intertwined their fingers together before staring back up at her again "Then take this chance with me"

Miley felt like she was melting under his touch and like she couldn't even function correctly. She tippy toed and placed a soft kiss on his lips "Okay"

A huge smile formed on Nate's face and he slowly stepped away from her, but he didn't let go of her "Let's get out of here" He offered.

Miley shrugged her shoulders and ran her fingers trough her long auburn locks "And go where?"

"I don't know, just come with me" He adjusted the strap of his backpack and figured that the smile she shot him was a yes. He leaned over and kissed her one last time before they ran trough the school halls towards the exit.

* * *

**I'm sorry that it took me a month. But I will finish this story and I tried to make this as long as the others. I'm also sorry if there are any mistakes. And I just had to be cheesy in this chapter okay? :p**


	11. Love

**I'm quite proud of this chapter and did I update it quick or not. Feeling so inspired these days. I will try to get Drive up and running again. I miss writing that story but I just need to get my inspiration back for that story, hope it will come back to me soon! : ) Sorry if there are any spelling/grammar mistakes!**

**A lot of Nate and Miley in this chapter but also some Joe and Demi, hope you enjoy : )**

* * *

**Demi Lovato**Catch Me_ – _

_ But you're so hypnotizing,_

_You've got me laughing while I sing_

_You've got me smiling in my sleep_

_And I can see this unravelling_

_Your love is where I'm falling_

_So please don't catch me_

* * *

"One of the reason why we decided to move here is because I always came here as a kid. My grandparents used to live here in a cabin. After they both died they left it with my father" Nate explained as he kept his eyes on the road in front of him.

"Do you miss them?" Miley softly asked. She noticed something in the tone of his voice, like there was something more to the story of them moving here, or the way that he stammered the word father out with difficulty.

"My grandparents" He glanced her way quickly before fixating his eyes back at the road again.

Miley shook her head and looked out of the window. They were surrounded by a wood, the windows were open and she could hear the sound of a lake on her right. She immediately felt calm as soon as they drove up this path. "No, I meant your parents" She tore her gaze away from the nature outside the car and looked back at Nate "Do you miss them?" She asked again.

Nate bit his bottom lip and nodded slowly after a few moments of silence "Yes" He simply answered.

"That's okay" Miley friendly said and she smiled brightly when she noticed that the car came to a stop. She closed the window of the truck before unbuckling her belt and opening the door to get out "This is so cool" And with that the subject was dropped.

Nate let out a sigh of relieve when she didn't question him more. He stopped the engine, took the keys out and got out of the truck himself. He closed the door behind him and locked it before walking up to Miley and stopping next to her. He swung the bag that he packed over his shoulder and glanced down at her "You want to go inside"

She looked up at him excitedly and bit her bottom lip, looking at the huge cabin in front of her. She never came to this part of the town, she wish that she did though because it was beautiful out here. Snapping out of her thoughts she looked to her left and saw that Nate disappeared. She frowned to herself and looked back at the cabin seeing that the door was open. She stuffed her hands in her jeans pockets and slowly made her way to the cabin. She moved up the stairs and walked trough the door, closing it behind her. She gasped at how beautiful it was on the inside, it had a homey feel to it and she just wanted to stay here forever. The huge couch in the middle of the room, in front of the fireplace, a major bookshelf that was standing in front of one wall, a wooden staircase that led upstairs and at last the spacious kitchen where Nate was standing in now.

"You like it?" He asked as he looked at her with a wide smile on his face.

"If I like it?" She spoke lowly, feeling that if she would talk louder that this amazing feeling that she got from just being here would disappear. "It's awesome and so lovely" She kept looking around while she made her way over to him. She sat herself down on the counter before her eyes danced their way over to Nate who was moving around the kitchen like it was his home. "Why did you bring me here?"

Nate's smile fell of his face and he slowly turned around to face Miley "You don't like it here? I thought you-"

She shook her head, her long auburn locks danced over her shoulders, and she looked him deeply in the eyes "It's not that and you know it. If I was feeling uncomfortable I would've already been out the door" She smiled a little at his confused face and she hooked her finger, telling him to come closer. She let out a breath and placed both of her hands on his shoulders. She knew he was bothered with something, she noticed when he started to talk about his grandparents and his dad. His jaw clenched, this grip on the steering wheel tightened and he stammered the words over his lips with difficulty. His eyes turned a darker shade of brown, it was almost pitch black, and they were dull.

"You didn't just bring me to your grandparents cabin Nate, there's something up with you" She softly spoke but she didn't keep her eyes off of him.

Nate swallowed a lump down his throat and tried to avoid looking in her eyes, knowing that he would burst if he did. His arms were resting on the side of his body, almost touching her knees. He wanted to wrap his arms around her but if he did, he would crack. It was already hard enough for him since he was standing between her legs. It bothered him that she could read him as well as she does in this short amount of time that they've gotten to know each other but it also made him content, seeming that she was one of the little people who actually know how he is. He wants so badly to tell her, to just tell her everything. Why his parents are never there, why they moved and more importantly, what happened to Emily. But he just couldn't "I'm fine"

"You do realize that you're talking to me right? I isolate myself when I get feelings I don't want to have, I've managed to lie perfectly to the people I care dearly about, but there was always this one person who saw right trough my lie, or right trough my smile and that was Demi. So I know how complicated your mind is right now, I know exactly how you feel. I know that you're trying to fight against it. Because I can see right trough the façade you're putting up. So what is it?" She searched his eyes and she noticed that he got closer to her. She dropped her hands and placed them on the counter where she was sitting on "What's going on?"

Nate stepped out of her grip and clenched his fists together. Now he got why she must've found him annoying every time he would ask her to open up. It sucks. It sucks to share things with someone when they weren't there. Having to explain it all makes you relieve it all over again and that's the hardest thing for people like Miley and himself. He felt tears form in his eyes but he managed to push them back before turning to look at Miley who had now jumped of the counter "I want to talk" His voice was hoarse so he cleared his throat and looked away from her again.

"We can do that" She softly said as she walked closer to him "We can do that, we can talk" She slowly wrapped her arms around his broad body and she closed her eyes when he did the same with her. They stood there for a few minutes before they both pulled back and looked at each other. "You okay?" She asked while she rubbed his arms in a soothing way.

He slowly nodded and cracked a small smile at her "Thank you"

Miley tippy toed and left a small sweet kiss on his cheek "I'm just doing what you do best. You're always there for me. I'm just returning the favour"

He smiled a little and leaned down, pressing a kiss on her nose "You're amazing"

"So I've heard" She laced their fingers together and led him to the couch where she sat him down. "No judging, it wouldn't be fair and my lips are sealed" She sat down on the table in front of him and waited until he was ready to start talking

* * *

Demi had her gaze stuck to the ground as she made her way out of school after her final class. She was in deep, serious thoughts about everything that has been going on, and everything that has been going on is Joe, so yeah.

"Demi"

She snapped out of her thoughts and turned around, hearing that someone had called her name. Her eyes widened when she saw Selena walk up to her and she was paralyzed. She had no idea what she was going to do or say, she just hoped that it would be over soon "Selena" She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry for stopping you, but do you know where Miley is? I've been looking for her. I only saw her this morning" Selena looked at Demi and really hoped that she would tell the truth. Their 'relationship' isn't exactly what you'd like to call 'cool' seeming that Demi feels like she stole Joe away from her and of course because Selena has made Miley's life – and also kind of Demi's life – a living hell.

Demi composed herself from her shocked state and she shook her head, stepping closer to Selena "Wow wait, did you just start that sentence with 'I'm sorry'? And did you just ask **_politely_** where Miley was? Please tell me you're screwing with me. You are aren't you?" She asked, a bit unsure about what the answer would be.

"I'm not screwing with you. I'm being honest here, I truly am sorry for everything that I put you guys trough so that is why I've been looking for Miley, to apologize" Selena sealed her words with a nod and slightly smiled "And I want to thank you. For being there for Miley while I obviously wasn't. She was my best friend and she has had a rough year behind her, I don't think that she would've made it without you" She bit her bottom lip and wiped the tear away that was rolling down her cheek "Do you want to tell her that I'm sorry? And that when I get to see her that I'd like to apologize in person" She looked down and adjusted the bag on her shoulder "I really have to go now" She quickly turned around and rushed out of the school with more tears streaming down her face.

Demi turned to look at the direction where Selena just ran to. Her mouth was slightly agape because of what just happened. She just couldn't believe that Selena honestly apologized to her, and indirectly to Miley, but still. She ran her fingers trough her long locks and felt a presence beside her. When she looked up at the person she sighed at the sight "Joseph"

"Did she just apologize to you?" He asked while he looked down at Demi a bit surprised. "I overheard so…"

"Yes, yes she did" Demi started to walk towards the entrance "And you know what, you could probably learn from her" She shrugged her shoulders and disappeared trough the doors.

Joe took a deep breath and quickly got after her "I meant what I said Demi" He softly grabbed her by her elbow and turned her back around "I really am going to fight for you"

She ripped herself out of his grip and sent him a hard glare "Then prove it" She gritted trough her teeth.

He walked closer to her and he laced their fingers together "Demi I…" He looked down at their hands together and he was glad to see that she didn't take her hand back. He looked back up at her and straight into her eyes "I want to tell you that I'm sorry" He paused and took a deep breath.

Demi, thinking that he was going to leave it at that, shook her head and wanted to walk away from him.

He pulled her back and looked at her determined. "I want to tell you that I'm sorry" He started again "I'm sorry for the awful things I put you trough and I'm sorry for everything with Miley. I'm sorry for that one time when I called you a brat when you didn't want to go bowling with me and my friends. I'm sorry for when I pushed you to the ground when you were five. I'm also sorry for not being there at your first soccer game because I thought that hanging out with the older guys was way cooler. I'm sorry for being extremely stubborn" He let out a deep breath and slightly smiled "I'm a jerk aren't I?" He didn't expect her to say anything so he continued. "What I'm most sorry about is for the way that I left you hanging after everything that we've been trough. I didn't mean to kiss you and then run off, but you scared me. The feelings that I got because of you scared me and I felt like I wasn't ready for them. But I am now." He let go of her hand and took a step closer to her. He looked down at her lips before he glanced into her eyes. She was waiting for his next move, wondering what he was going to do, and he was positive that he was going to surprise her. "Demi, I love you" He breathed out before cupping her cheeks and pressing a soft kiss on her lips.

She closed her eyes and released a sigh. She would be lying if she said that she didn't miss his warm lips against hers, it felt so comforting, so, so right. She slowly felt him pull back and she didn't stop him, then he took his hands of her face and it felt like she was back on earth again. She opened her eyes and stared into his hopeful ones but there wasn't anything that she could give him. "Mhm" She pressed her lips together and shook her head "I'm not taking you back Joe"

He nodded understanding but he couldn't help but get disappointed by her words "I really am sorry… what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to hold on closely to the Joe that you are now" She softly smiled and slowly stepped away from him "I think I like this one better" She turned around and walked over to her car without looking at him once more. But she really didn't have to. She didn't have to look at him because she just knew that he was feeling exactly the same. Things were good between them and they were planning to keep it that way.

* * *

_Emily quietly tippy toed across the hall towards her brother's bedroom. She stopped in front of it and looked down at her balled fists while she bit her bottom lip. She hesitated if she would go in or not, thinking that he was probably still mad at her for breaking one of his CD's. She whimpered when she heard the thunder and she quickly shot into his room, quietly closing the door behind her. The ten year old walked over to his bed and slowly shook him awake "Nate?" She whispered in a timid voice "Nate, I'm sorry but I'm really scared" She clenched her teeth between her lip and looked at her older brother with her big eyes that just adjusted to the darkness in the room. She was really hoping that he wouldn't send her away and tell her to go to mom and dad._

_"Ah, yes" He pulled his covers of and patted the spot next to him on his bed "Already thought you were coming, kept it warm for ya" He smiled at her while he rubbed his eyes and he placed the covers over her when she lied down "Night Em"_

_"Night" She spoke contently. She really was happy to have Nate as her big brother._

"Emily, she was fifteen when she died. She uhmm, she was murdered" He blurted out while he kept staring at that one spot on the table next to Miley. He swallowed a lump down his throat before moving his hands over his face, feeling that he couldn't "I'm sorry, I…"

"Nate" She lifted his chin so he would look at her and she leaned a bit forward, smiling softly "It's okay"

He looked into her blue eyes and noticed that they were calm today and a lot lighter then when she was worrying. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He licked his lips and looked down at his hands that were now resting on his lap. "Emily was the kind of person that was nice to everyone, even when they didn't really deserve it. She was best friends with this girl called Riley they would tease me all the time" He chuckled lowly but she smile quickly left his face again "There was this one night when they were in my room. They wanted to go to a party but mom didn't want Emily to go. So we agreed on telling mom that we would be hanging out tonight at the bowling alley but actually I would drop her of at the party and I'd go pick her up later" He looked up from his hands and looked at Miley who was looking at him intensely. He didn't feel like he was under severe pressure, he was glad that she wasn't pushing him into telling his story.

"Mom bought it so that is what we did. I dropped her and Riley off and went to hang out with my own friends. It was getting late and I drank a few beers but I was in an okay state to drive. So I told my friends goodbye and went to pick her up but when I got there, she was nowhere to be found"

_"Riley, are you sure that she's still in the house?" Nate asked as he scanned the crowd with his eyes, keeping Riley close to him so he wouldn't lose her too._

_"I'm positive, she said she was going to the bathroom and I haven't seen her since" riley was slurring her voice and she was hanging on Nate's arm so he was practically dragging her around the house._

_He stopped walking and slapped her cheek a little when she was giggling into space "Riley, how much did you drink?" He sighed when she started giggling harder and he kept five fingers up "How many fingers am I keeping up?" He asked quite worriedly._

_She kept her head slant wise a little and she squinted her eyes "Three" She eventually said. She saw him shake his head so she pouted in disappointment "No?"_

_"Did Emily drink as much as you did?" He started walking trough the house again and they stepped outside because it was suffocating inside. _

_Riley nodded and tried to stand straight "Uhmm, yes? We took some drink from some guys that offered them"_

_Nate widened his eyes and shook his head again "You have got to be kidding me" He muttered to himself "Are you really that stupid?" He raised his voice a little but tried to calm down when Riley was staring back at him with wide scared eyes "Sorry, I'm sorry. I just want to know where my little sister is" He looked around again and sighed when he had no such luck in finding her. "Do you know who those guys were?"_

_Riley shook her head "No, they aren't from around here"_

_"How many were there?"_

_"About four I think? Four maybe" A silly smile grew on her face when she saw Parker walk by "Hey Parker"_

_Nate quickly thought about when Emily dropped his name one time, something about secretly having a crush on him "Parker, have you seen my sister?" He turned to him, his concern was increasing, he had no idea where his little sister was, and her best friend was drunk and possibly drugged._

_"Uhmm yeah, I saw her about twenty minutes ago. She left with a few guys. They told me they were taking her home. I didn't really trust it so I told them that I would bring them home but then Emily herself said that it was okay so I let it go"_

_Nate frowned at the story but thanked Parker anyway before he walked of. This was nothing like Emily. Emily wouldn't just let some random guy take her home, let alone four or five of them, and she would call or text him in case. "Come on Riley, we should go looking for her" He pulled her up and slowly walked to his car. He buckled her up, got in himself and slowly backed out of the drive way before hitting the road._

"We drove around for about a half hour before I started to lose hope. Riley almost passed out and I was tired but I wasn't going home without Emily. I just knew that something was wrong. The whole situation wasn't right. It was around that time that I started to think that she was probably drugged too so I was getting angry. My little sister left with some unknown guys and they drugged her. I was going ballistic and my breath got stuck inn my throat when we got to the outskirts of town. I saw a van parked there and I…" He stopped talking when he almost chocked on the sob that escaped his lips. Tears were wildly streaming over his cheeks and he closed his eyes tightly trying to stop them but it didn't seem to stop. He wanted that agonising pain that was ripping his chest apart to stop, but that also didn't happen.

Miley furrowed her brows together and quickly settled herself next to him on the couch. She didn't like where this story was going. He looked so broken and she had no idea what to do but to try to comfort him, so she placed her small hand on his back and leaned her head on his shoulder. She was just hoping that he would calm down because she noticed more then just sadness in his eyes and in his body language. He was angry, no let's take that back, he was pissed of. She had only seen him pissed of once and that was at school when he almost ripped Joe's head of in the lunch room.

Nate clenched his fists tightly and clenched his jaw. He could tell her. He couldn't tell how his little sister was laying there, helpless, small and naked. How one of the guys around her was zipping his pants up, laughing loudly at his mates. He couldn't tell Miley how one of them picked up the baseball bat and started hitting her until she was barely recognisable. He couldn't tell her how numbed and paralyzed he was when he saw it happen. He jumped out of the car too late, he made too much noise and they saw him. They cursed and quickly made a run for it, back into the van. He couldn't tell her how much it pained him to be the one to see it all, how powerless he felt when he dropped to his knees by his sister's side, how he pulled her bloody head in his lips and how he cried. How he was thinking about how he was going to tell his parents that their baby girl got murdered, all because he agreed on her to take her to that stupid party.

"One of them raped her and, and it looked like they had no care in the world. They all had beers in their hands when one of them grabbed a baseball bat from the back of the van and hit the life out of her. I was too late to do something about it, too paralyzed" He spoke trough gritted teeth, he had this absent glare in his eyes and his words were as sharp as knives.

Miley gasped at what he said and at that moment the tears started to flow over her cheeks too. He saw how his little sister got beaten to death and all because she was at the wrong place at the wrong time "Nate…"

"It is my fault"

"Don't think like that"

"But it is" He spoke as he got up from the couch. He pushed his fingers trough his curls and took deep breaths "If I had just said no to her. Tell her to listen to mom, tell her that no is no. Sure she would be bummed but she would've been over it in a matter of time. I could've really taken her out to the bowling alley, but I didn't, I -"

"Nate, stop it" Miley also got up and she grabbed him by his arm, stopping him from pacing around anymore. "You have got to stop thinking like that, it will kill you inside"

"I'm already dead Miley" Nate looked her in the eyes and he saw the surprise on her face "I'm already dead" He repeated but this time in a whisper.

Miley bit her bottom lip and nodded slowly "I get it, I get **_you_**" She looked at him intensely, weighing if she could approach him or not, he was angry, very angry. She decided that she would have to if she wants to help him. Miley stepped closer to him and swallowed a lump down her throat when he stepped back. She closed her eyes tightly and took a blind step, when she opened them again she was happy to see that he didn't step back this time "I know how you're feeling. You don't like the memories. You don't like them because they make the tears come easily. And in that moment you break the promise that you've made to yourself." A small smile grew on her face when she saw that his anger ebbed away from his eyes "It's a constant battle Nate. A war between forgetting and remembering" Her voice lingered in the air and she took another step closer to him. She looked down at his hand and laced her fingers with his.

Nate was completely tongue tied, he didn't dare to think that there was someone who exactly knows how he feels and exactly knows what he needs. But then there's Miley and she just does it all.

_Just like that._

He softly tucked on her and brought her even closer to him "You keep me sane" and it was true. The anger he had been feeling in over just a minute ago had already disappeared all because of her powerful words.

Her smile turned brighter and she placed her free hand on his chest "You know how everyone talks about finding the one?" She whispered.

Nate nodded and wondered where she was going with this.

She looked up at him again and pierced her ocean blues into his chocolate browns and she licked her lips "I'm really hoping that you're the one" She giggled when she saw the joy that had reached his eyes, it fit him well "And I you didn't know yet" Her giggles trailed of "You got me, and I'm not going anywhere"

Nate could express how he was feeling at the moment, it felt like his heart burst for the adoration that he has for this girl. So he leaned in and his lips touched hers, warm, full and soft. Then his tongue swiftly moved over her bottom lip and he released a sigh when she gave him the access he wanted. He quickly released her hand and moved his hands to the small of her back.

Miley got pulled closer against him and she gracefully wrapped her arm around his neck, they were becoming needy, holding on for dear life to each other because they both needed this, the clarification of them being together no matter what. Miley hummed in the kiss, he kissed her oh so softly and oh so heavenly that she almost felt like falling apart.

They pulled, they clenched, they grabbed and they loved.

Miley moaned when his lips left her when his phone started ringing. She smiled when apologized for it and she smiled brighter when she noticed that his face lit up even more when he picked up.

'Mom' he said.

And Miley knew that everything was amazing today. She settled herself down on the couch, Indian style and she played with the strands of her long auburn locks while her eyes followed Nate around the room. She softly touched her swollen lips but she grinned at the feel. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and read the text message when her phone had vibrated in her pocket.

**_Today is good _**– Demi

**_Yes it is_**, she sent back and that was exactly how she was feeling. When she looked up from her phone she met up with Nate who was waiting for her. He stood tall and looked sexy with his hair in a mess and his goofy smile.

Nate smiled at her and cupped her phone, kissing her swollen lips softly before pulling back again. He let go of her cheeks and waited until she would open her eyes again and when she did he kissed her forehead "My parents got home just now. We should be heading back."

Miley nodded and she got why his face lit up when he got the call. She got of the couch and patiently waited while he gathered the stuff that they had brought. She watched while he locked the door and she quietly walked after him to his car. She was way up in cloud nine and she was happy to clarify that it was because of him. The windows were open again, her hair was blowing in her face, the radio was playing softly and Nate's hand was resting on her thigh, he had a smile on his face and she was mirroring the same one, just like it's supposed to be.

* * *

_If this is love please don't break me_

_I'm giving up_

_So just catch me._


	12. Iridescent

**Chapter 11 – Iridescent**

**_Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?_**

**_You've build up hope but failure's all you've known._**

* * *

Miley swiftly moved her fingers over the digits of her touch screen before sending the text and locking her phone again. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the air that was softly blowing in her face. It worked soothing. She leaned her head back before slowly turning it to the left, a smile twitching on her face when she looked at the handsome young man who had his eyes focused on the road. She admired him. She admired him so much and he's such a beautiful person inside and out. Having gone trough what he has gone trough must've been hard for him and also for his family. But the fact that he's here, after a pretty short amount of time after his sister's death, alive and sane makes Miley look up to him. She got lost in her thoughts when the memory of him telling her the words that she has been cherishing ever since.

_"I lost my little sister, so __**you**__ don't know anything. I was just like you Miley trust me, maybe even worse and I don't want this for you. I want you to make something of your life. That you live a life that's so good and happy as possible. And you may never, never, feel guilty because you're happy. Don't you dare. And if you can't get yourself to do that, then do it for me. Because I don't think I can live with myself knowing that you're feeling the same pain that I felt."_

She was brought back to reality when she felt his lips brush over her temple down her jaw and he whispered "Is everything all right?"

She looked at him dumbfounded when she realized that they were parked in front of her house. She cleared her throat, tasseled her fingers trough her long locks in a slight nervous matter before she spoke up herself "Everything is fine" She threw a glance at her house before turning back to Nate again, clenching her lip between her teeth "I actually send a text to my father, asking if it was okay for me to go back to your place. If that's okay with you of course, I don't know if you want me there since your parents just got back after a long time I just" She shut up when she caught on to the fact that she was rambling – a thing that she does when she tends to get pretty nervous.

Nate grinned at her, she looked cute when she rambled and he was relieved when she told him she was coming with. He had been wanting to ask, he just didn't know how to, he didn't want to seem needy. "I'd love it if you come with me" He chuckled when she started blushing. He turned the engine on again and started to drive to his house "Are you sure though?" He glanced her way quickly, growing more nervous. This was going to be moment where they would get into a whole other level in their relationship. She's going to meet his parents.

Miley giggled at his nervousness and she placed her small hand on his knee, grinning up at him "I'm absolutely sure. When you talk about your parents you're always praising them" She turned her gaze away from him and looked at the neighbourhood they were driving in. She knew that when they would drive around the corner that it would only take a few seconds before they'd drive up his driveway. She surprisingly felt calm and her smile returned on her face when she felt Nate's hand covers hers. "Is it weird that I'm not nervous?" She turned back to look at him and saw the frown that formed on his face

"You're not?" He asked surprised by her confession

"Nope"

"Then how come I'm so nervous?" He questioned more to himself then to her and he shifted in his seat. He clenched his bottom lip between his teeth and tried to calm himself down. He let go of Miley's hand and parked the car in his usual spot on the driveway. Seeing that his parents car where standing further in the driveway made a rush of calmness wash over him. It felt normal to him, to be coming home to his parents and to introduce Miley to them. He finally felt that he could be moving on from what happened to Emily and that if he could show his parents that then they'll know that it's all right for them to do the same. "Are you ready?" He took his key out of the ignition and looked at Miley who was looking at him with her bright blue eyes that he had come to love ever since they met.

"Yup, are you?" She had pulled her hair in a messy bun when they were making their way back but she decided to let her hair loose again so that's what she did while looking at Nate trough her thick eyelashes.

"Yeah, I've come around" He smiled at her before opening his door and getting out of the car. He quickly moved around the car so he could open the passenger door for her. He chuckled when she shook his head at her "Mi lady"

Miley ran her fingers trough her locks before getting out of the car and kissing him on the cheek lightly "Thank you"

Nate closed the door, locked his car and intertwined their fingers before they made their way inside his house and stopped in the hall "Mom? Dad?" He called out while he anxiously waited for a response. He let out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding when he heard something coming from the kitchen. He tugged on Miley's hand who was still amazed by the huge hall every time she stepped foot in it, and he dragged her along into the kitchen where his father was standing in front of the stove and his mother was sitting at the counter with a glass of red wine in her hand. He was slightly surprised to feel the relaxed atmosphere that was hanging in the air. It was unusual but not unpleasant. He smiled at his mother's smile and he grinned when he saw his dad cooking dinner. "Hey" He released Miley's hand and pulled his mother into an embrace before he turned to his dad who patted him on his shoulder.

"I see you haven't been lonely" His father, David, looked towards Miley who was still standing in the entrance of the kitchen.

"Oh, you can come in further dear, don't be shy" Nate's mother, Casey, got up from the chair she was sitting on and walked over to Miley, sticking her hand out for Miley to grab. _'She looks beautiful'_ Casey though, _'I can give her that'_ "I'm Casey"

"My name is Miley" She shook her head and smiled politely at the beautiful woman in front of her, she moved elegantly, smiled charming and warm and had a pair of dark brown orbs filled with kindness. She quickly glanced at Nate who was laughing with his father and she thought that this family couldn't be any more perfect, but she knew better. She thought about telling them how sorry she was for what happened to Emily but she felt like she would ruin everything. They all looked so happy to see each other and she didn't want to get in the middle of that "It's nice to finally meet you" She added while she released her hand.

"Are you staying over for dinner?" David asked while he stirred in the pan in front of him.

"If I'm allowed to" Miley smiled at how they received her with open arms.

"Of course you are" Casey answered and she placed her glass on the counter before looking at her son who was glowing "Oh by the way, Lucy was leaving the house when we arrived. Is everything okay?"

Miley's smile immediately left her face when she thought about Lucy, well more about the message that Lucy had dropped of when she was here the last time. She had no idea if she was really pregnant and if Nate was the father. She looked at Nate with her mouth slightly agape. She can't believe that something as serious as that actually slipped her mind and not only that, she also couldn't believe that Nate didn't tell her anything about it. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom" She quietly said while dancing her eyes to the ground. She turned around and quickly left the kitchen.

What if Lucy is going to have Nate's baby?

Does it mean that he's going to have to move back?

Is tonight some sort of goodbye?

She couldn't think clear. She closed the door of the restroom behind her and she grabbed her phone, pressing on speed dial before putting it to her ear. She took a deep breath when she heard her best friend's voice on the other side.

"Miley? What's wrong?" Demi asked concerned. Miley usually only called when something was up, because if they would call on a regular basis Demi just wouldn't stop talking so they agreed on texting each other and just call when something's really up. That way they would know if something was really bothering them. So that is how she knew something was up.

"Oh Demi" Miley breathed out while she sat herself down on the marble floor of the fancy restroom she was currently hiding out in "I'm going absolutely crazy"

"I figured, what happened?" Demi asked again, really hoping that it was something that could be fixed.

"Okay so Lucy went home apparently, but I have no idea if Nate's going to go after her and that tonight's the end of us because he didn't tell me if he's going to become a father or not" She rambled.

"Miley, calm down, take a breath and just ask him"

"Just ask? As simple as that? In front of his parents?" She cried out in disbelieve.

"Yes Miley, just ask. As simple as that" She clarified her words and smiled at Miley's complicated thoughts "Just let me know how it went"

"Miley?" Nate knocked on the restroom door with a frown on his face "Is everything okay?"

"Crap" Miley muttered under her breath. She got up from the floor and smoothed out her shirt "Demi, I'll call you later. Oh and thanks" She whispered before quickly hanging up. Miley closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath, tonight could turn into a complete nightmare or it could be as great as their whole afternoon has been. She was feeling nauseous and her head was spinning. There could be a possibility that she was going to lose him tonight. She turned the lights of from the restroom and softly opened the door, looking up at Nate's worried eyes.

"Is every okay?" He asked again when he saw that she was looking a little pale. Something was off about her and that worried him.

"Is this our goodbye Nathan?" She bit her bottom lip and held on tightly to the doorknob behind her back, she needed to have something to hold on to. She was going to have to face whatever was going to come, she wasn't going to run.

"What?"

"Are you going to" She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened her eyes again before continuing "Are you going to be a dad?" She held in a breath. It felt like her heart was beating in her throat and she felt like throwing up.

Nate opened his mouth to say something but seeing the fear in her eyes made him unable to speak up. So he stepped closer to her, he wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close, rested his forehead against hers and finally found the way to speak "No" He whispered "The baby isn't mine"

Miley released the breath she was holding and she held on to him for dear life "Oh my god" She closed her eyes tightly trying to blink back the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Oh my god" She whispered again, burying her head in the nape of his neck.

* * *

Demi ruffled her little brother's hair before lifting herself of the couch when the bell rang. She was in her black skinnies and one of Joe's shirts he had left here before they stopped hanging out. She never bothered to bring it back and since she was feeling so nostalgic today she dug it out of the back of her closet and pulled it on as soon as she got home from school. She sighed thinking about the kiss that happened it the parking lot. Everything felt so genuine and so right and even though her heart was screaming and longing to get him back she had to fight the urge to listen to her heart and go with her head instead. Her heart has only brought her misery when it came to Joe Gray. She straightened out the shirt and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before opening the door. She looked up at the person and let out a sound, shaking her head with a small chuckle. She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway "You know Joseph, there's this thing called space"

"I know" He softly spoke "I know. It just didn't feel right leaving it the way that we did today at school"

"Why, because I was the one walking away from **_you_** instead the other way around?" Demi leaned of the doorway and looked him straight in the eye genuinely wanting to know his answer to that question.

"No" He quickly said but only to hear a disapproving sound when he did so, so he quickly recovered "Probably, yes" He confessed. He looked around and ran his fingers trough his hair before looking back up at Demi again "Look, I don't get this thing that is going on between us now. And it's exciting but also scary because I know that there's a possibility that you might actually say no to me" He stepped higher on the porch to her front door and this time he looked a bit down to her because she's smaller then him "I don't like that feeling"

She swallowed a lump down her throat but she remained still. She didn't move, she didn't speak, she just looked, to his expression, she looked in his eyes and she saw fear and insecurity and the fact that she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit good about that made her feel wrong again. She looked calm but she actually wasn't. Her heart was beating out of her chest, trying to make it's way to the rightful owner who was standing right in front of her. She just couldn't bring it up to do it.

"Can't you just forgive and forget?" He suggested lightly, he wasn't exactly sure how she was going to take that, and by the looks of it she wasn't happy with it at all.

"No Joe, I can't just forgive and forget. I can't just forgive and forget how you left me hanging and chose someone else over me while you promised you weren't going to leave me that night. I can't do that when it's still so fresh in my memory. It hurts like hell Joe and call me a bitch for it but I want you to feel the same and truth be told I don't give a damn if I might lose you because of it" She slightly raised her voice while she spitted the words out. She thought that she could handle this, talk about what happened while she obviously couldn't. She just didn't want to get trough the whole process of breaking her heart again. She felt so vulnerable when it came to Joe and she hates that he has that kind of affect on her.

"Well then I think I'm going to have to disappoint you because I don't think you can lose me Demi, not after everything we've been trough. We've already been there." He didn't raise his voice at her but his words were powerful which made the little hairs on the back of her neck stood up. He didn't take his eyes of her. He couldn't afford to do so.

"Yeah and look at where it got us" She pointed between the two if them with a defeated look in her eyes.

"I don't know about you but I have learned from the past and I'm going to approach us in a whole different way" He paused and stepped closer to her. He could feel her breaths hit against the nape of his neck and he had to fight the urge to wrap her in his arms and kiss her again. "A better way" He finished.

"Why do you think I'm shielding my heart from you? Of course I have learned from the past Joe. You've been a complete ass to me until about a week ago so you can't expect me to just drop this grudge I have against you and run back to you. I don't work like that, not anymore" She stepped away and grabbed the door in her hand, ready to slam it shut but before she did she threw him a certain glance "Now you guess who's to blame for that" And with that she closed the door in his face. She leaned against the door and closed her eyes, trying to calm down her breathing. Her heart was racing but her mind was pretty still. Everything that she felt that had to be said was now said. She had no idea where that sudden courage to tell him how she really feels about that came from. But right now it was a dreadful and agonising pain. She wasn't feeling happy at all but she knew that later on she wouldn't regret this. Later on she would see this as the day that she was selfish and put herself first for ones and sometimes it's okay to do that.

"Demi?" Her little brother looked at her with his big brown eyes and his stuffed bunny in his hands. "Are you okay?"

Demi opened her eyes and leaned of the doorway throwing him a weak smile "I'm fine buddy. Let's continue watching the movie okay?"

He nodded but he made his way over to her, throwing his arms around her legs and looking up at you "I love you"

She smiled and had to try her hardest to keep the tears in that were threatening to fall "What would I do without you huh?" She picked him up and put him on her hip "Come here" She kissed the top of his head and they walked back into the living room.

* * *

"Well, that went well" Nate said as he closed the door behind him after they walked into his huge bedroom. He watched Miley as she settled herself on the ground, her back resting against his bed. He smiled at her and dropped himself next to her. He intertwined their fingers and he looked at her face.

"Did it?" She asked, looking back at him, her teeth clenching her bottom lip. After she found out that Nate wasn't going to be a dad they decided to not tell his parent's incase they would freak out. They had a lovely dinner and everything seemed to go smoothly but she also noticed that his mother drank a whole bottle of wine by herself and that his father spaced out here and then. The atmosphere was nice but she noticed that they were missing a presence. It got worse when she told them that she lost her mother. They all exchanged looks before Casey walked over to her and hugged her. Miley felt and knew that she wasn't the one who really needed the hug but it was Casey, so she hugged her back. They were all still clearly upset about what happened to their daughter and sister, but knowing that she was also still the same because of her mom she wondered if this was a good place for her to be.

"Yeah, we normally barely talk during dinner and my mother usually locks herself up in her room afterwards. She was open and genuine today. I missed seeing her like this" Nate smiled softly at the fact that he saw a smile on his mom's face tonight. He sighed a little and rested his head on Miley's shoulder "It's like you bring in this vibe that makes everything more comfortable and easier"

"Well that's nice to hear" She cuddled closer to him and they stayed sitting like that in a comfortable silence. "You remember the first time you sang to me?" She pulled back a bit and shifted so she was looking right at him.

"Yeah, I had to stop because you started crying but you wanted me to continue it anyway" He said, knowing what she was talking about. "Why were you crying?" He whispered, searching for something in her eyes.

She softly smiled and shook her head "Because, how weird it might sound, it was like the girl you were singing about was me. I was in a really dark place Nate and I could relate to that song and that was why I started to cry. It got to me and it made me think twice of everything. So I want to thank you, for being you and for being that one positive thing that I need in my life to hold on to. Thank you for pulling me out of the hole that I have dug for myself because I don't know where I would've been now if it wasn't for you" And it was true, he did to this all to her and he needed to know that. She knew that he still blamed himself for what happened to Emily and just like he pulled her out of her dark place she really wants to be the one for him to make his world a little lighter.

Nate leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead with his eyes closed "I didn't know I did that"

"And so much more" She whispered back, also with her eyes closed "You brought me myself back Nate, thank you"

He leaned back again and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear "I would do it again anytime" His eyes stayed struck on her oceanic blue ones and he smiled "You're really something Miley Stewart" He slowly leaned in but stopped right before their lips touch.

Miley swallowed a lump down her throat and she awaited his next move. She wanted him to kiss her madly, but she felt that tension was too flawless to be broken so she patiently waited. Her eyes closed while her hands found their way to his cheeks. Her fingertips slowly grazed over them before he closed the gap between them and she straightened herself because of the feel of his lips against hers. She let out a content sigh and smiled when he smiled into the kiss.

"You're pretty amazing, do you know that?" Nate whispered when they pulled back for just a slightest bit. He pecked her lips and wondered how lucky he got by moving here.

"So are you" She smiled brighter and felt herself being happy, like actually happy. It felt weird to feel like that because for her it has been such a long time ago. It made her want to jump out of Nate's arm and dance around, maybe even play again. She stopped at the thought. It actually was the only thing that kept her and her mom connected now that she was gone. "I want to play again" She blurted out.

Nate looked at her dumbfounded but with a bright smile on his face. He remembered the day that she told him that she didn't play anymore. It saddened him because he truly believed that she had talent and not only that but also that she loved it more than anything in the world. So to hear her say these words made his heart jump "Right now?"

Miley bit her bottom lip to try to suppress a huge smile and she nodded "Yeah, but uhmm…" She got up from the ground and slid her hands in her pockets "This is something I have to do with my dad"

Nate nodded and also got up. She was radiant and he loved that smile that she had plastered on her face. It was like a goofy grin but even better because it came from her. "Okay, let me bring you home then" He placed his hand on her lower back while they walked out.

"I'm sorry Nate but I-"

"Hush" She shushed her as they walked down the dramatic staircase in his house "This is important to you and you're right. This is something you have to do with your dad" He returned the smile she gave him and he walked into the living room to look for his parents. He frowned a little when he saw it was empty and he shrugged his shoulders, walking back to Miley who had just pulled her shoes and jacket on "I think they already went to bed"

Miley opened the front door and looked at him over her shoulder "Don't forget to tell them I said thanks"

He shook his head and closed the door behind them "I won't" They got into his car together and he started the drive to her house. "Any idea what you're going to play?"

Miley shifted in her seat and turned to him "Uhm, yeah. My mom was working on a piece before she past away. I want to finish it" She spoke determined. As a little girl she heard her mom play the piece all the time, it was halfway finished, but her mom never included her. Whenever Miley asked Rachel always got a cheeky grin on her face and winked at her daughter _'It's a surprise'_ She always said _'For you'_

Miley smiled at the memory and noticed that she zoned out for a few minutes because they were already standing on her driveway "Thank you for tonight" She looked up at Nate and giggled when his wild curls were covering his view "You need a haircut pretty boy"

"Yes mom" He replied with a roll of his eyes. He chuckled at the face she pulled and he shook his head "Tell your dad I said hi"

"Next time dinner's at my place" She opened the car door and got out "I'll see you tomorrow" She smiled and closed the door behind her and grabbed onto her bag tightly as she ran to her front door. She stopped in the midst of her track as if she remembered something and she jogged back to the car, walking round in and opening Nate's door "I forgot something" She whispered.

"Oh, what then?" Nate asked as he looked at her rosy cheeks. He smiled when he realized what she meant though because she was leaning in. Their lips met halfway in a soft kiss and he winked at her when they pulled back "See you"

Miley blushed and stepped back while she licked her lips "Bye" She whispered and closed the door for him. She threw him one last glance before walking back to her house.

Nate smiled and waited until she walked inside her house before backing out of the driveway and starting to make his way back home. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he carefully took it out, keeping his eyes on the road. He quickly opened the text and read: **_Do you mind coming over for a moment? _**– Demi.

He frowned, wondering what it's about but he made the turn to the left instead to the right and made his way over to Demi's house.

* * *

"Dad, daddy?" Miley called out as she closed the front door behind her. She walked trough the hall and into the living room and stopped while looking around. She spotted an empty bottle scotch and the place was a bit messy, nothing to get worried about, but she just knew that today was one of these days. She just wondered where he was. She walked into the kitchen and didn't find him. She frowned and walked back to the living room, this time hearing a beautiful melody coming from upstairs. Getting led by the tones that were heard she practically ran up the stairs. She was right. She bit her bottom lip when she stopped in front of the door she said she wasn't going to enter about a week ago. Her emotions were all over the place and for now she decided to do the thing she rarely did. She decided to open the closed door in her heart and become insane because honestly, it's all worth it. So without hesitating she opened the door and took a sharp breath when she saw the scene of a broken man playing the piano, the only thing that kept him connected to his wife and maybe even also to his daughter. They have been dancing around each other ever since Rachel died, until now. "Daddy" Miley spoke again and she looked at her father with wide eyes as he stopped playing and slowly turned around.

Greg was brooding that day. Miley hasn't been around much and he thought that he was okay with it but actually he wasn't. But then again, he couldn't blame her for trying to pick her life up again after all those years. He just wished that he was as strong as his little girl and that he could do the same. She was right, Miley was right, throwing himself into work has done nothing but create a wedge between them that now seems unfixable. Regretting the decisions he has made and missing his dear wife badly he finished up the bottle of scotch he opened a few weeks ago and drowned himself in the music his wife used to play. He was surprised though when he heard Miley's voice coming from behind him. He took his fingers of the keys and slowly turned around to face his daughter. He looked at her, embarrassed that she found him in this state, he wanted to apologize to her but nothing seemed to come out.

"Hey dad, are you doing all right?" She felt stupid asking that but it seemed to be the only thing that came out. She saw her dad differently at this moment, ever since her mom died he has been like a complete stranger to her but now it was like she was seeing her father again. She closed the door behind her and watched him as he thought about her question and slowly shook his head as an answer. She took a deep breath and walked over to him, sitting herself down next to him. "Me neither" Expecting him to dismiss her comment like he always did she found herself getting surprised when he wrapped his arm around her.

"It's okay" he whispered before he kissed the top of her head, caressing her arm in a soothing matter "We'll make it out together"

* * *

Nate smiled up at the woman who opened the door. He figured that it was Demi's mom so he extended his hand to introduce himself. "Good evening miss. I'm Nate Lucas, Demi's friend from school. She just texted me asking if I could come over for a bit"

"Ah, yes" She shook his hand and smiled friendly "She told me you were coming. Please, come in. She's upstairs in her room" She opened the door wider and let him walk in before closing the door behind him.

"Thank you" He quickly kicked his shoes of at the bottom up the stairs before walking up. He passed two doors and when he got to the end of the hall he figured it was Demi's room. He softly knocked on the door and he heard a faint response coming from inside, seeing that as a conformation he walked inside and smiled when he saw Demi sprawled out on her bed, hugging a pillow "Hey, what's up?" He closed the door behind him.

She looked up at him and couldn't help but get tears in her eyes again. She sat up, still hugging her pillow and she took a deep breath "Why are guys so complicated?" She questioned before she burst out in tears.

"Oh god" Nate muttered before he quickly moved to her bed and sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her. "Griffin right, what did he do?"

Demi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shook her head ashamed "Not Griffin, it was Joe"

"Joe?" He breathed out confused. He wasn't expecting this but she also didn't need him to question about how that happened so he kept quiet about that. "Oh, well what did he do?"

"Can we get out of here? I don't want my parents to know that I've been crying" She spoke while wiping her tears away. She looked up at Nate with big hopeful eyes and she slightly smiled when he nodded at her.

"Yeah sure. Let's go to the pizza joint because I'm hungry and then we'll see from there" He suggested while getting of her bed and waiting until she pulled her shoes on.

"Sounds great" She cleaned her face with the sleeve of the sweater she was wearing and they walked out of her room and down the stairs quietly. She popped her head in the living room "We're out for a bit, won't be home late"

"All right, be safe princess" Her father smiled at her before turning his attention back to the TV again.

"Okay, let's go" Demi said to Nate when he had his shoes back on and when she had her leather jacket on. "Are we taking your car?" She asked when she closed the door behind them.

"Yeah let's go" He opened the car and they both got in. He moved away from the curb and started his way to the pizza joint. He turned the radio up a bit and turned to look at Demi "Are you okay?"

"A bit better yeah, thanks" She smiled and took another deep breath "You're probably wondering how Joe and I happened?"

Nate raised his brows and quickly shook his head. He really didn't want to get into her business if she didn't want to tell him.

"You're the worst liar ever" Demi said and when she got a look from him she shook her head giggling "That's a good thing! Anyway, we were kind of together before Selena came into the picture but now that they're broken up again he's expecting me to run right back to him. I really care about him I do, but I'm doing everything that I can to not give in to him"

"Why? If I may ask" He looked at her a bit worriedly before turning his glance back to the road.

"Well, I don't want to put myself out there again so he can break my heart, **_again. _**I don't want to love him again Nate"

"I don't think it's possible to just not love someone Demi. You've loved him all these years you've been apart"

"That's not true. It's the exact opposite. I have hated him these years that we've been apart" she fought back immediately

"The opposite of love isn't hate Demi, it's indifference. You have managed to not really care because he broke your heart but you have always loved him." Nate spoke. They were now standing at the parking lot of the joint and he turned the engine of. He looked at Demi who was staring down at her hands in silence.

"You're right" She said after a few minutes. She looked up at Nate with tears in her eyes "You're absolutely right. But am I doing wrong by pushing him away?"

"Look, you have every right to push him away right now and if he really loves you he will still be there when you decide that you can let him in again. But if you think that this is what you need to do, then you should do it" He shrugged his shoulders.

"What do you mean if this is what I **_think_** I need to do?" She was torn and Nate was really helping her right now but he also made her confused about her decisions and actions.

"What I'm trying to say is that you're probably making it harder on yourself. I don't exactly see Joe as boyfriend material but that's because I only know him as a jerk. But you, you have seen him in a way that has obviously made you fall in love with him. You're not exactly happy without him and I'm not sure how you got me to say these words but I honestly think that you're keeping your happiness away from yourself and your happiness obviously lays with Joe"

"But I'm seventeen years old and love is a really big word. What do you and I know from love?" She freaked out a bit. She didn't know how it was possible that everything Nate has said to her were actually already in her, she just didn't admit to them.

"Now that is what they **_make_** you think. Just like grown up always think that young kids are oblivious to everything that happens around them, they're not. They see and feel every single thing that's happening and that's the same thing with teenagers. They only tell us otherwise because they're trying to protect us from getting a broken heart"

Demi bit her bottom lip at his words and nodded at him "Thank you, thank you so much. I know that you don't like Joe but you still did this"

"And I would do it again in a heartbeat because you're my friend" He smiled brightly at her before eyeing the joint in front of him "But now I'm really hungry, so can we go inside?"

Demi chuckled and nodded "Yes, let's go" They both got out of the car and walked towards the entrance of the joint but Demi got stopped by Nate.

He pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back "Hey, I'm pretty sure you guys are going to be okay. Just do whatever feels right with you all right?"

Demi hugged him back tightly before pulling back "Got it" She smiled at him and opened the door of the pizza joint.

* * *

**_Remember all the sadness and frustrations_**

**_And let it go._**

**_Let it go._**


	13. Misguided Ghosts

**_Chapter 12- Misguided Ghosts_**

Demi wiggled her legs contently ad took a bite of her Hawaii pizza while looking out at the view of the look out mountains. She was sitting on the hood of Nate's car and she was wearing his beanie because her ears were cold. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and glanced over at Nate who was also enjoying the view "Oh, by the way, since I'm the best friend…" Her voice trailed of and she covered her mouth with a giggle swallowing her food first.

Nate turned to look at her and raised his brow, wondering what she was going to say, but when she giggled he chuckled along with her, waiting patiently until she would finish her food.

She lifted her finger, indicating him to wait and she giggled again when she was done "Sorry about that. But as I was saying, since I'm the best friend I need to give you the talk. The **_'if you ever hurt her I will cut your balls of' _**talk" Her tone turned serious "Yeah, I'm not exactly kidding. Miley isn't just some girl okay? She needs to be taken care of and watched closely because she's good at hiding things. I won't be leaving her but I think now that you're in her life I'll be in the sidelines a bit more so yeah" She sounded sad when she said the last part of her speech. It was sad but true. Now that Miley had Nate she would probably go to him whenever something would be bothering her, but it's okay. As long as she still comes by for their movie nights.

Nate smiled at how concerned Demi was as Miley's best friend but he frowned when she said that she would stand on the sidelines. "Demi, don't say that. Don't tell her I told you this, but I heard her talking to you when she locked herself up in my bathroom when she was panicking about me being a dad or not. She called **_you_** Demi"

Demi accepted his words and sighed "I know. I guess I'm just a bit emotional today" She smiled weakly at him and turned her attention back to the view in front of her.

* * *

Miley moved around in her bed and clutched the stuffed animal she had in her hands closer to her chest. She sniffed and wiped away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. She decided to just give up so she rolled back onto her back and stared up at her simple white ceiling. She rubbed her eyes and let out a deep breath. She was feeling so worn out after crying the whole evening with her dad but now she couldn't even fall asleep. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she looked down at the stuffed animal her father dug out of the back of her closet for her. She softly smiled and she closed her eyes at the memory.

_Miley brushed away her long curly locks from her face and smiled up at her father who was telling her about the zebras. She licked on her ice cream while knitting her eyebrows together, listening intently to what her father was saying. Her hands were sticky and she looked around for her mom to ask for something to clean her hands of but she couldn't see her. She turned back to Gregg a bit worried. "Daddy, where's mommy?" She asked while wiping her hand on the back of her jeans shorts._

_"I saw that missy" Rachel just walked out of the gift shop and tilted her daughter up, twirling her around. She laughed at the melodic giggle that escaped from Miley's lips. "I got you something baby girl" She placed her back on the ground and started wiping of her mouth and hands._

_Miley pulled a face and tried to wiggle out of her mom's grip "Mommy, mommy, what is it?" She questioned impatiently. She stomped on the ground in excitement when she saw her mom grabbing her backpack "What is it mommy?" She asked again and she walked closer to her._

_Rachel pulled the stuffed animal out of her backpack and she lowered herself to Miley's level "Well you said you really liked the penguins, so mommy got you one"_

_Miley clapped her hands together and took it gratefully "Thank you, I love it" She threw her arms around her mother's neck and hugged her tightly "I love you" she whispered._

_"I love you too" Rachel beamed._

_Miley let go and raised the stuffed penguin in the air, turning to Gregg "Daddy, look at it, look at it" She demanded while jumping up and down excitedly._

_Gregg leaned down and picked her up, looking closely at the animal in her hand "Would you look at that" He smiled at Rachel before looking down at their daughter "What is it?" He played dumb._

_Miley giggled and pushed the stuffed animal in his face "It's a penguin daddy" She screamed. She let out a joyful noise when he placed her on his back before they continued their walk in the zoo._

Miley fluttered her eyes open again and softly giggled. She slept with it every night ever since, she remembered when she turned thirteen and a few of her classmates teased her about still sleeping with a stuffed animal. She got home really upset that day and she told her mom to get rid of it. Rachel had laughed and told her she'd do it, but she was going to miss it one day, pull it out of the closet and sleep with it again. "You were right mom" Miley whispered in the darkness a soft smile playing on her face. She stayed quiet and listened to her own breathing until she felt her eyes getting heavy and sleep was coming over her again. "Hey mom? I miss you" She said before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Demi sighed while she closed up her backpack after putting her books in it. She looked in her locker and smiled at the picture of Miley and her, a new one. She closed her locker, still with that smile on her face and she wanted to make her way over to class but Joe was standing in front of her. She noticed that he had been keeping his distance from her today and she appreciated that so she wondered why he suddenly decided to approach her. She took a deep breath "Joe" She murmured but she knew he heard it.

Joe had been keeping his distance from Demi most of the day, it was hard but since they've spoken last night she gave him a lot of thinking to do, again. She was looking so beautiful, flawless even when she was standing at her locker. He had pushed his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and looked around a bit nervously, leaning on the heels of his shoes. He wanted to go over to her but he didn't know if it would do them any good. He took one hand out of his pocket and rubbed his nose before deciding that if he wouldn't do it now then he wouldn't do it at all. He took his backpack of his back, opened it and took out the item he was going to give her. Swinging his backpack over his shoulder he took a deep breath, keeping his eyes on Demi who was stuffing her books in her locker. She slightly turned, making her shirt visible and he softly smiled when he saw that it was the same shirt she was wearing yesterday when he came by, it was **_his_** shirt, **_his_** Deaf Havana shirt, the one that she bought **_for_** him and now **_she_** was the one wearing it. That was the one push he needed to go over to her and hand her the item he was clutching on to. He slowly made his way over to her and he arrived at her locker right when she closed it. She looked up at him with a certain look and he heard her murmur his name but he just let it go. He gave her the item and waited for her reaction.

Demi tore her gaze away from his face and looked down at what he handed over to her. She traced her fingertips over the beautifully designed CD cover and a smile caught on her face "You started drawing again?" She asked, looking up at him with joy.

He nodded in response and watched as she looked back at the CD cover before opening it and taking out the CD that was in it.

She took out the CD and saw the title of it **The Road to Your Heart: Volume 1. **Her breaths got stuck in her throat and she looked up at him with surprise written in her eyes. He remembered. "Joe, what is this?" She softly asked, ignoring the bell that just rung and the pushing students that were making their way to their classes.

Joe thought about saying something like 'my apology' but he decided against it. Instead he decided to go with how they got to know each other, music. "Listen to it and you'll find out" He slowly stepped back and he smiled at her before turning around and making his own way to class. He moved his head to the side but not far enough so he would be looking over his shoulder "Nice shirt" He commented and he continued his walk to his class.

Demi looked down at the shirt she was wearing and she let out a sound that sounded like a sigh. She smiled but shook her head at Joe and his mix CD. She neatly placed the CD back in it's cover and she put it in her backpack before turning the other way and walking to her class.

"Ah Miss Torres, decided to join us?" Her teacher spoke while lowering his glasses when she walked in late.

Demi rolled her eyes at him, she was only about a minute late and she really wasn't in for detention.

"You know this means detention" He turned his gaze to the book he was holding in his hands and wanted to continue reading when the door opened again. "Would you look at that, it seems like Miss Stewart will be joining you" He waited until they both took their seats before he dully continued reading the part where he had stopped before they came walking in.

Demi opened her books and smiled at Miley who just settled down beside her "Hey"

Miley smiled brightly and also opened her books "Seems like we're stuck in detention together"

Demi shrugged her shoulder, sure she didn't like having detention, but it would be at least more bearable being able to have it with her best friend "Seems like it" They giggled softly before turning their attention to their teacher.

* * *

Selena ran her lean fingers trough her long locks after she let her hair loose. She nodded at her coach when she asked her if she was sure and she quietly watched as her uniform got neatly placed on a shelf in the closet with other uniforms. She softly smiled and adjusted the strap of her backpack before turning around on the heels of her shoes and walking out of the office. She went to her locker and took her books out of her bag and placing her lunch in it. Just when she closed her locker the bell rang indicating that her free period was over and that it was time for lunch. She bit her lip anxiously. It was a sudden decision she made to drop out of the cheerleading squad, it would be possible that they wouldn't want to have her around anymore. She looked down at her simple jeans and her bright red top and decided that she looked decent. She slowly made her way to the cafeteria and when she saw the cheerleaders she made their way over to them. She was feeling ridiculous, it felt like she was starting her first day of high school and she's asking if she can sit with the popular kids. She used to be one of them only a few minutes ago, she used to be **_it_** and now she was feeling nervous by just approaching them. "Hey" Her voice sounded so small and timid and she hated it.

Lily smiled widely and shot up from her seat "There you are" She looked at Selena and frowned when she noticed that she wasn't wearing her uniform "What are you wearing?"

Selena took a deep breath and decided that she chose for this, she might as well stand behind her decision then "My own clothes, I just brought my uniform to the coach, I'm stepping out of the squad" She simply said, shrugging her shoulders.

Penelope got up with a smug smirk on her face. This was her chance, she could finally become the captain and that without putting her plan in motion of getting rid of Selena her self. She swayed her hair to the side and crossed her arms over her chest "Oh well in that case, cheerleaders only" She spoke rudely.

Selena pulled a face in disgust. She never liked Penelope. Her eyes widened when she realized that she was going to be alone from now on. If she doesn't have the squad or Joe, she's all alone. She quickly shot a glance at Lily who was looking back at her while biting down her bottom lip. "Lily" She breathed out.

Lily kept looking at her before deciding to slowly sit down "Sorry Sel" She murmured before turning her back to her and looking at the squad.

Selena nodded firmly and looked down while she walked out of the cafeteria. She felt sick and suddenly so lonely. She gasped when she ran into someone "I'm so sor-" She looked up to find Miley and Demi staring at her.

Miley wanted to walk away from her without saying a single word but then she saw the look in her eyes and she couldn't help but grow worried "Are you okay?"

Selena blinked back her tears and tried to calm herself down "I was just looking for you actually" She avoided her question.

Demi frowned at that sentence but then she remembered the day that Selena walked up to her.

_Demi had her gaze stuck to the ground as she made her way out of school after her final class. She was in deep, serious thoughts about everything that has been going on, and everything that has been going on is Joe, so yeah. _

_"Demi" _

_She snapped out of her thoughts and turned around, hearing that someone had called her name. Her eyes widened when she saw Selena walk up to her and she was paralyzed. She had no idea what she was going to do or say, she just hoped that it would be over soon "Selena" She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear._

_"I'm sorry for stopping you, but do you know where Miley is? I've been looking for her. I only saw her this morning" Selena looked at Demi and really hoped that she would tell the truth. Their 'relationship' isn't exactly what you'd like to call 'cool' seeming that Demi feels like she stole Joe away from her and of course because Selena has made Miley's life – and also kind of Demi's life – a living hell._

_Demi composed herself from her shocked state and she shook her head, stepping closer to Selena "Wow wait, did you just start that sentence with 'I'm sorry'? And did you just ask __**politely**__ where Miley was? Please tell me you're screwing with me. You are aren't you?" She asked, a bit unsure about what the answer would be._

_"I'm not screwing with you. I'm being honest here, I truly am sorry for everything that I put you guys trough so that is why I've been looking for Miley, to apologize" Selena sealed her words with a nod and slightly smiled "And I want to thank you. For being there for Miley while I obviously wasn't. She was my best friend and she has had a rough year behind her, I don't think that she would've made it without you" She bit her bottom lip and wiped the tear away that was rolling down her cheek "Do you want to tell her that I'm sorry? And that when I get to see her that I'd like to apologize in person" She looked down and adjusted the bag on her shoulder "I really have to go now" She quickly turned around and rushed out of the school with more tears streaming down her face._

Demi quickly looked at Miley "Hey Miles, I'm going to pick out a table for us okay? I'll meet you inside" She looked back at Selena who looked at her gratefully and Demi couldn't help but smile at her before walking around her and moving to the cafeteria. She looked over her shoulder before opening the door to the cafeteria and she met with Miley's big, curious eyes. Demi nodded in response, telling her that it was okay and she pushed the door open disappearing trough it

"What's going on?" Miley questioned, feeling a bit strange at what was happening. Selena looked completely different, less bitchy, she even looked vulnerable, she wasn't wearing her uniform and she and Demi were actually being tolerant towards each other.

"Two days ago" Selena started and she closed her eyes tightly, wondering if she would confess what she has been meaning to say. She opened her eyes again and realized that she just had to "Two days ago I visited Rachel" She confessed "Your mum"

Miley widened her eyes and she couldn't help it when she felt anger boiling inside of her. Was this some kind of sick joke to get her off guard? "Why would you do that?" Her voice came out strong and loud and she wasn't expecting it so she blinked her eyes at it.

"Because, because I miss her too" She whispered sincerely and she was sure that Miley heard what she had said.

"No" Miley shook her head immediately as soon as she heard the words "No, Selena, you don't have the right to miss her. After everything you have taken from me you won't have **_her_**, you hear me? You won't, you can ruin whatever the hell you want but I forbid you to visit her ever again. You don't have the right to, not after the shit you put me trough" She yelled, making a few people that were still hanging around the hallway stare at them a bit uncomfortably.

Selena blinked and wrapped her arms around herself, the words Miley just threw at her truly hurt her "You, you don't mean that, do you?" She wondered carefully "You're just saying that because you're pissed right?" Not only was Miley there for her whenever her parents got into a fight, so was Rachel. Rachel was like her second mom and hearing Miley say those things made her well aware that she has gone way too far this past year.

"What do you think?" Miley hissed while she stepped closer to her.

Selena took in a deep breath "You can't do that Miley, I was there with you when she was dying, I was the one going to the hospital to visit her with you whenever. I know that how I treated you wasn't right but-"

"It's not about the fact that you were there while she was dying Selena, and I'm seriously thankful for that, but what matters to me is that you promised her that we would take care of each other. It was one of her final wishes and you chose to ignore that." Miley pushed her while tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Selena stepped back because of the push and she could feel her own tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Where were you when she was gone?" She yelled "Huh? Where were you Selena?"

"Look, I'm sorry" Selena yelled back, realizing that everything Miley said was right "I'm sorry" She sobbed and she stepped closer to Miley, wanting to wrap her arms around her "I'm sorry for everything, I didn't realize how much you were hurting"

Miley stepped away from her "You're a monster Selena" She looked up at her trough her eyelashes while she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "If I find out that you still visit my mom, I will rip your head of" She spoke seriously, she leaned down to grab her backpack and swayed it over her shoulder "You stay away from her" She warned before stomping her way to the cafeteria, leaving behind a crying Selena.

Joe blinked back his own tears. He saw the whole thing and he clenched his jaw at how broken Miley looked. He didn't realize that they took things this far. He slowly made his way over to Selena and he looked down at her "Are you okay?" He whispered.

Selena sniffed and shook her head "No" She quickly turned around and ran toward the school's exit.

Joe ignored the stares that he was getting and looked at the doors of the cafeteria, debating if he would go in or not. Inside there was Miley and Demi. He now understood why it was so crucial that he had to apologize to his former best friend. If he wanted to be with Demi he wanted to have her blessing, after all, he missed having Miley around. She helped him with making his move on Demi. He decided that he would wait until she was calmed down, so he also turned around and decided to have his lunch elsewhere.

"I'm not going to let it ruin my day" Miley finished after she explained what had happened, to Demi.

Demi pulled her best friend into a hug and she closed her eyes "You're so damn strong Miley. I admire you"

Miley hugged her back and she smiled, appreciating the words that Demi just said "Thank you"

They pulled back and Demi smiled "Let's make today the best detention ever okay? I think we both need it"

Miley nodded agreeing and they both started their lunch quietly.

* * *

Nate ran his fingers trough his curls tiredly and said goodbye to the principal after school was done. He was so glad that today was Friday. It had been a hectic week. Starting Monday he could finally follow his own classes again. This internal suspension was making him sick. With his hands in his pockets and his backpack loosely hanging over one shoulder he started his search for Miley and Demi. He smiled when he heard their laughs before he turned the corner. "What are you girl so happy about? Last time I checked, you guys had detention" He spoke while he walked over to them. He stopped right in front of them and received a slap on his arm from Demi.

"Don't need to rub it in asshole" Demi joked with a smirk on her face.

Miley lifted her fingers at her best friend and eyed her warningly "Uh, be nice, he had an internal suspension for a week"

"Remember when I was the one who told you to be nice to him?" Demi said with a certain playful look.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever" Miley rolled her eyes and turned to Nate "How was your day?"

"Too boring to mention, what about yours?" He responded.

Demi quickly glanced at Miley, wondering if she was going to tell him what happened at lunch.

She noticed Demi looking over at her but she ignored it. She shrugged her shoulders at Nate "It was… interesting"

He cocked his eyebrow up and looked at the both of them suspiciously "Interesting?" He questioned "What did you do?"

"Too boring to mention" Miley mimicked him, al though it was far from the truth, but just like she said at lunch, she wasn't going to let it ruin her day and not talking about it is the best thing right now. She will tell him later, or not. She isn't quite sure yet "But we have to go now"

"Right" He stated, he leaned in and pecked her lips sweetly before walking away backwards "You girls have fun while I'm at home taking a nice shower and eating popcorn, maybe watching a movie"

Demi flipped him her middle finger "Screw you Nathaniel" She said and she giggled with Miley as they made their way over to the teacher that gave them their detention.

* * *

Nate walked into his house exhausted, he dropped his bag by the stairs for when he was going upstairs and he walked into the kitchen. Opening the fridge and taking out a bottle of water he settled himself down on the counter and took a gulp.

"Nathaniel Jerry Lucas" Casey walked into the kitchen and stopped in front of him with one hand on her hip and a pissed of expression on her face "Why didn't you tell me you had an internal suspension this week for walking around with a knife at school and fighting another boy?"

Nate closed his eyes. He seriously wasn't in the mood now. He was exhausted and just wanted to take a shower. This week was like hell for him because Joe got out of it and he had to take the punishment "How do you expect me to tell if you're not around?" The words slipped his tongue and he widened his eyes when he realized what he just said to his mother. He saw her angered expression turn to a hurt one and he blushed in embarrassment. His parents got home yesterday and he's already making a mess out of it. "Fuck. Mom, I'm sorry" He jumped of the counter and followed her out of the kitchen when she made her way up the stairs "Mom, I'm sorry" He said again but she just ignored her and kept walking. He flinched when he heard her slam a door and he groaned out in frustration "Damn it"

* * *

**_I know you won't believe me_**

**_But the way I, way I see it_**

**_Next time you point a finger_**

**_I might have to bend it back_**

**_And break it, break it off_**

**_Next time you point a finger_**

**_I'll point you to the mirror_**

They girls finished, both struck in a pose. They glanced at each other and when Demi snorted from laughter Miley followed quickly behind and only in a matter of seconds they were lying on the floor next to each other, wiping away their tears.

"Oh my god" Miley breathed out, clamming her hand over her stomach because it was hurting. She stared up at the ceiling of the auditorium that they had to clean. Their teacher had sent them to the janitor so they could help him out and now they're here. They finished about half an hour ago but they were having way too much fun to leave already.

Their laughter died of and though Demi didn't want to ruin their good mood, this question that she had was spinning around her mind for a while now "Do you think you'll be able to forgive Selena?" She moved her head to the side to look at Miley after a long moment of intense silence.

"Eventually" She answered shortly she then turned her glance to Demi "Do you think you'll be able to forgive Joe?"

"I think I already did" She answered immediately. Demi looked back up the ceiling and a small smile formed on her face when she thought about what he gave her.

"What?" Miley raised her brow at the smile that formed on Demi's face. When Demi shook her head, Miley lifted herself up and rested her weight on her elbows "What are you smiling at?"

Demi brought her hands over her face and she peaked trough them, seeing Miley hovering over her "Okay fine" She huffed, got on her knees and crawled her way to the edge of the stage where their bags were lying. She took out the CD Joe gave her and she crawled back to Miley, handing it over to her "Apparently he started drawing again. He gave me this today"

Miley looked at the cover and she couldn't help but awe when she saw two people standing at a concert. The girl with long brown hair was sitting on the guy's back. Their gazes were turned to the artist on the stage, wide smiles showing on their faces. Miley recognized this. It wasn't **_just_** a drawing Joe made. Miley made this picture of Joe and Demi when they went to a concert from The Kooks when they were fourteen. It was now the cover of the mix CD he made for Demi. "Demi…" She cooed and she opened it up, taking out the CD and reading the words: **The Road to Your Heart: Volume 1 **"Volume 1? Does this mean that he's going to make you more?" She questioned.

Demi shrugged her shoulders, her bottom lip clenched between her teeth "I don't know, I guess so"

Miley traced her fingers over the cover and she softly smiled. Joe really does care about Demi "I can't believe he remembered" She looked at Demi still with the smile on her face.

"Me neither"

_Demi was standing at her locker, murmuring along with the song that was playing on her iPod. Her headset was wrapped around her neck but the music was loud enough for her to hear. She just placed her history book in her bag when her locker suddenly got slammed shut. She jumped at the sound and glared at Joe who was now standing next to her with a smirk on his face. "I wasn't done yet asshole" She snapped and she opened her locker again._

_"Don't need to be a bitch" He pouted, walking around her and leaning against the locker on her left side. He waited patiently until she got all of her books and while he did he heard the song she was listening to. "You really liked the movie didn't you?"_

_Demi grinned up at her best friend and closed her locker "Well duh, it has the best soundtrack ever. Thanks again for getting it for me, best Christmas present ever" She admitted, a bright smile showing on her face. "'__**Nick and Norah's infinite Playlist'**__ is now officially my favourite movie"_

_"Ah, I love that movie" Miley exclaimed when she walked up to her two best friends and caught on to what they were talking about. "The thing that I love about Nick is that he makes mix tapes, so cute" She cooed._

_"I know. If a guy wants to make his way to my heart he will most definitely have to do the same. I mean, what's sweeter than making mix tapes with songs to tell a girl how much you like her?" Demi answered with a cute pout on her face._

_Joe smiled to himself when he listened closely to the conversations that the girls were having. He pushed it to the back of his mind. You never know when he decides to stop being a coward and actually tells her how he feels._

Miley gave the mix CD back to her friend and she looked at her curiously "So, because you weren't jumping around from happiness today I assume that you haven't told him yet that you forgive him" When Demi nodded she continued "Why?"

Demi opened her mouth to say something but she shook her head. She looked down at her hands "Will **_you_** be able to forgive Joe?"

"I'd like to know what exactly happened that night first but if he comes to me to apologize then probably yes" She simply said. Miley didn't believe that Joe actually raped her, he couldn't have right? Was it weird that even though he took advantage of her she would forgive him just like that if he gave her a sincere apology? Joe was her best friend and she never stopped loving him as her big brother, some days she found herself missing him and their friendship.

"Why would you do that?" Demi questioned after a moment of silence. She didn't understand how Miley would be able to forgive him that easily.

Miley shrugged her shoulders and looked up at Demi "Because it's Joe"

* * *

Demi came home about two hours ago. In those two hours she had dinner, watched TV with her family, played around with her brother and she had been staring at the CD that Joe made for her. _Was it really that simple?_ She thought when Miley's words were circling around her mind. _Because it's Joe._

She decided to give it a shot. She got of her bed and moved over to her stereo, carefully taking out the CD and putting it on. She walked back to her bed, grabbed a pillow and clutched it to her chest. She took out the booklet that he also made and she opened it on the first page. When she did she heard that the CD started.

**_1,2,3_**

When the first tones started she realized which song it was and she found herself being in awe. She hated how he knew her so well.

**_I'm going away for a while_**

**_But I'll be back_**

**_Don't try to follow me_**

**_'Cause I'll return as soon as possible_**

**_See, I'm trying to find my place_**

**_But it might not be here where I feel safe_**

She looked down at the booklet that was still in her hands and she read the words that were on it, neatly written in his beautiful handwriting.

Paramore | Misguided Ghosts

**_Would someone care to classify?  
Our broken hearts and twisted minds  
So I can find someone to rely on  
And run to them, to them  
Full speed ahead  
Oh, you are not useless  
We are just_**

Misguided ghosts  
Travelling endlessly  
The ones we trusted the most  
Pushed us far away  
And there's no one road  
We should not be the same  
But I'm just a ghost  
And still they echo me  
They echo me in circles

_I hope I can be that person you can rely on Demi and when you do, know that you can always run to me, full speed ahead, because I'll be there. I'm not going anywhere – Joe_.

* * *

**Okay, so how cute was this chapter huh? Well more towards the end then. But I really think that this is my favourite chapter I have written from this story. Got some heavy emotions going on in this one, right? Oh well, what I want to know is what you think. So please drop a review or something. Thank you so much for your amazing feedback and I'm sorry if there are any mistakes in this. The songs used: **_Playing God_** and **_Misguided Ghosts_**, both by **_Paramore_**.**


	14. Publish My Love

Chapter 13 – Publish My Love

**Rogue Wave** | Publish My Love****

**_Wait there, just enough to see you smile._**

**_I mixed up the distance of the miracle mile._**

**_You could never publish my love_**

**_You could never publish my love_**

**_You could never publish my love_**

**_You could never publish my love_**

_I love you so much that it can't be put into words – Joe_

* * *

Demi shook her head with a smile on her face. She couldn't believe how extremely cheesy the CD was but it was just enough for Demi to convince herself to start working on their relationship. Okay, so he did hurt her, but he is here now. And maybe the year apart from each other has done them good. It made them both realize what they were missing out on. So to answer the question that she asked herself that same night – if it really was that simple 'because it's Joe' – Yes, yes it is. She let the last song of the CD end before she turned her stereo of and settled herself down on her bed again. She looked at her phone that was lying on the bedside table and she chewed on her bottom lip while she debated with herself if she would text him or not. Not being able to resist herself she grabbed her phone and send out a quick text to him before grabbing her book and continued to read in that.

_Nice art Joseph. Goodnight_

* * *

_Night beautiful_

Joe smiled brightly at how they finally stopped dancing around each other and he stuffed his phone back in his pocket just when Greg opened the front door. Joe waved a bit awkward under his intense stare "Good evening sir"

"Joseph" Greg breathed out "I haven't seen you in a long time" He said knowingly, but when he saw him lower his head in embarrassment he decided to let it go "It is a tad late though, is everything all right?"

Joe rubbed the back of his neck "No uhm, I didn't really look at the time. I just really need to talk to Miley"

"Right" Gregg looked at him thoughtfully before opening the door wider "She's up in her room" He watched how he walked past him with a polite smile on his face "Hey Joe?"

"Yes sir?" Joe turned back to look at Gregg when he was halfway up the stairs "You know you're always welcome right?"

Joe chuckled a bit sarcastic but it did him good to hear those words "Thank you" He moved back up the stairs "But we'll let your daughter decide that" He muttered under his breath. He walked trough the all too familiar hall and he stopped at the last door. He frowned when he noticed that the once white wooden door was now painted pitch black with a note that said **_knock_** in big letters. He hadn't realized how much she actually changed ever since her mom died, and that saddened him. He took a deep breath and he softly knocked on her door. A few seconds passed before he heard her say 'Come in'. He put his hand on the handle, pushed it down and opened the door.

Miley looked up from her laptop expecting her dad to stand in her doorway but she met up with Joe's stare instead "Joe" She breathed out "What brings you here?"

"I thought it was about time to man up and apologize to you Miley" He confessed with a small smile and his reddened cheeks.

"Well" Miley placed her laptop of her lap and patted the spot next to her "It took you long enough. Come sit"

Joe frowned at her gesture but he went to sit down next to her anyway after he closed the door behind him "Okay, I think I'm missing out on something. Aren't you supposed to be angry?"

"Probably, but you're Joe" She imply commented and she watched him amused while he tried to figure out what she was talking about.

"I don't understand"

"Today Demi and I had detention. I ran into Selena at lunch and we uhm, we had a fight. So during detention Demi wondered if I was ever going to forgive her and I answered with eventually" Miley turned on her bed so she was facing Joe completely now "Then she asked me if I would be able to forgive you" Her voice trailed of and she saw him getting worried.

Joe let out a breath "And what did you say?" He questioned.

"I said that if you could tell me what really happened that night when you… you know, then probably yes. Demi asked me why I would forgive you just like that and my answer was because it's Joe and I said that because I never stopped loving you as my big brother and because I'm almost a hundred percent sure that you did not rape me that night. You wouldn't do that, would you?"

Joe opened his mouth to say something but he lowered his head, finding a hard time to find the words.

_"Okay, here you are" Joe put her down on her bed, scrunching his nose by the smell of the alcohol "You should go to sleep Miley" _

_She nodded and sighed deeply, releasing her arms around his neck as she looked at him with difficulty "Thank you" She slurred and she wasn't seeing clear. _

_Joe sighed as he realized that someone had put something in her drink. He looked down at her and saw that her blouse was open, revealing her cleavage and a little piece of her bra. He licked his lips unconsciously as he couldn't help but take his eyes off of her. He always thought of Miley as a very beautiful girl and she might also be the smartest person he knows, so he didn't understand why Jake broke up with her only a few nights ago. Letting his eyes roam over her body he kind of got lost in his thoughts._

_She focused her eyes on him as she noticed that he didn't leave yet "Joe-" Before she could finish of her sentence she got cut of by Joe who was kissing her roughly, he hovered above her and moved his hands to her skirt pulling it down._

_He would be lying if he said that he didn't have a small crush on Miley in the summer that Demi went away to visit her family in the south. They spent every day together and even stole a few kisses but they were twelve and he was gawky and he somewhere knew that it wouldn't work out so they didn't make a big deal about it. But here now that she was lying on her bed, fully grown up, like, really grown up and thinking of how Selena has been nagging him the whole time he couldn't help but go for the thing that he wanted right now. He wanted a release._

_"Selena" Miley mumbled tiredly, she just wanted to sleep and forget about the whole break up and this whole night. _

_He paused for a short second when she mumbled his girlfriend's name but he chose to ignore it for the night so he continued his actions. He kissed her neck softly and he moved his lips down to her chest, tearing her blouse of and placing wet kisses on her chest. _

_She moaned loudly, grabbing the sheets underneath her "Stop it" She chocked out difficult._

_"Shhh…" He shushed her and placed butterfly kisses on her stomach, before looking up at her smiling "You look really hot tonight" He thought, why not throw some of his charm in the game? He moved his hands to the hem of her panties. He was selfish and couldn't care less that he was undressing his best friend against her will. He didn't care that he would probably lose her after this. He just needed a release._

_Miley tried to push him away again, feeling absolutely restless. She wanted him to back off and leave her alone, sadly enough her vision was turning even more blurry. The last thing she saw was a devilish smirk on Joe's face._

_When Joe saw her eyes flutter shut it was also the moment when he came to his right mind. She was drugged. His best friend was drugged and instead of being worried about her, he was trying to take advantage of her because his relationship is a mess. He let go of her and quickly climbed of the bed. He stared down at her and the sight of her and what he was about to do to her just made him cry. So in between sobs he walked to her closet and pulled out her pajama, carefully putting them on. He tucked her in and he stayed with her for a good half hour, crying his eyes out. Deciding that the best thing to do was probably leave, he texted Selena saying that he was going home and he left Miley's house with a heavy heart._

Joe just couldn't answer her question and thinking back at that day and at how stupid he was he couldn't help but start crying again. For as far he can remember he had only cried three times. The one time was when his mom told him the news that his grandma died, he locked himself in his room and he cried, no one knew about it. The second time was after that night and now here he was in Miley's room trying to apologize but he couldn't speak because he was crying "I'm so sorry" He managed to choke out.

Miley frowned and glanced at him worried. Joe was not the person to cry just like that so she knew that whatever happened that night, he was feeling really sorry about it. She reached out to touch his arm in a soothing way but he lifted himself of her bed, shaking his head. "Joe" She spoke, getting frustrated by the fact that he wouldn't let her help him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" He kept mumbling. 'Stop crying' He thought to himself.

Miley also got of her bed and she walked over to him, stopping right in front of him "Look Joe, I don't need to know **why** I just want to know **if**" Seeing Joe cry was making her feel uncomfortable because she had never seen him cry and she didn't know what to do. She wanted to hold him but he wouldn't let her.

He shook his head and tried to calm his breaths down "N-no. I didn't-" His voice trailed of because he couldn't seem to get the word over his lips.

Miley smiled because she knew that she was right. He wouldn't do that to her. Being happy with the new piece of information that can finally help them to build this friendship up, she wrapped her arms around his broad body and she hugged him tightly. After a small amount of time he hugged her back. He seemed so desperate to hold her, as if that if she would just hold him, everything would be okay, so that is what she did. She led them back to her bed and she just held him. When he couldn't stop crying she lost it herself and they were both crying. They were such a mess, both crying and clutching on to each other because of the hurt they both felt. After a few minutes they both pulled back and wiped each others tears away "We'll never talk about that period of our lives ever again"

"Deal" He agreed and he sealed it with a nod.

"I've missed you" Miley whispered and she leaned her head against his chest and they just sat there in silence.

* * *

The following morning Demi woke up to a text from Nate which said if she wanted to go for a morning jog together. She gladly accepted and they figured that they could go to Miley so they could have lunch together.

"Demi, get your ass over here" Nate yelled when Demi passed him when they were making their way to the 'finish'

"Nope" She giggled and she quickened her pace even more, refusing to let Nate get close to her. She was going to win this sprint.

Nate also quickened his pace but he saw that there was no way that he was going to win anymore. He chuckled when she threw her arms in the air when she reached the 'finish' and did a little victory dance. He clapped for her and chuckled before they started to make their way to his house.

"Oh my god, I feel all gross and sweaty" Demi exclaimed while she stretched a bit "I'm hitting the shower first"

Nate wrapped his arm around her and smiled "Uhm, I've got more then just one bathrooms in my house. You can use mine and I'll use my parent's"

"Right, I always forget that you live in a mansion" She commented when they stopped in front of it.

He grinned and shrugged his shoulders "Come on" They walked towards the door and walked inside "Mom, dad?"

"Over here son" David spoke while he walked out of the living room. He wanted to say something but the he saw Demi so he decided to talk to Nate later "Oh hello, I'm David" He extended his hand and smile politely.

Demi smiled back and shook his hand "Hello, I'm Demi"

Nate smiled at their meeting but he still saw the look in his father's eyes so he rubbed the back of his neck "Uhm, how about you take a shower. I'll be right up so we can get to Miley"

Demi looked at the both of them and nodded understanding "Yeah, uhm, it was nice to meet you Mr. Lucas"

"Please call me David" He waited until she was up the stairs before he turned to Nate "Look" He glanced up the stairs again and they moved to the living room "I found your mom passed out with an empty bottle of wine next to her. What happened?"

Nate crossed his arms and let out a sigh "I, uhm, she confronted me about the internal suspension and I reacted way out of line. I didn't intend to hurt her dad. It was stupid"

"Nate, I get that it's hard for you to be alone all the time, but your mom is vulnerable. She lost her daughter, we lost our daughter"

"And I lost my sister. But all you guys are trying to do is trying to grief by throwing yourself into work and alcohol, it's not going to bring her back" He raised his voice at his father and he breathed heavy. "We need to fix this as a family and it pisses me of that I'm the only one who sees that" Without a hint of regret of what he said, he didn't stick around to hear the answer. He turned around and moved up the stairs so he could go to Miley.

* * *

"I can't remember the last time I slept in" Miley spoke contently while she tapped her fingers on the kitchen table.

"Or getting breakfast made for us" Greg commented with a smile. He grabbed her hand and smiled brightly "Are you guys okay again?"

Miley nodded and smiled back at him "Still a bit rocky, but we'll be fine" She looked up when Joe walked in with a plate of pancakes "Oh Joe, it smells delicious" She clapped her hands together and smiled at him.

"I hope it tastes good too" He placed the plate on the table and sat down at the kitchen table.

"I'm sure it does" Greg said and he dug in "Mhm, really good Joseph"

"Thank you" Joe smiled at his comment and smiled even wider when Miley put her thumbs up after she tasted one. He was only now realizing how much he missed being around Miley again, al though she's changed – and he's partly to blame – she changed in a good way. She's more mature, she becoming bubblier and she smiling and laughing more. And he was so relieved that Greg was treating him the same and not like the asshole that hurt his daughter over and over again. He even wondered if Miley told Greg the whole truth about what had happened in the hectic year that they left behind. Greg's having so much grace with him, letting him talk to his daughter, stay over and have breakfast with them, well more like lunch because it's already past twelve.

"Are you okay?" Miley asked when she noticed he had zoned out. She swallowed a piece of her pancake and wiped the syrup of the corner of her lips.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine" He spoke quickly and he looked up when he heard the doorbell "I'll get that" He got up from his seat and walked to the front door. He opened it and widened his eyes when he met up with Nate and Demi "Hey" He breathed out.

Nate raised his eyebrow and wondered what was going on. 'Is he wearing the same thing he wore last night?' He thought to himself. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and he looked over at Demi who was wearing a smile on her face.

"So, are you going to let us in or not?" She asked, still with the smile on his face.

"Oh yeah, uhm" He opened the door wider for them to walk in "Please" He swallowed a lump down his throat under the intense look that Nate was giving him "We were just having breakfast" He pointed towards the kitchen.

Nate nodded and made his way over to where Joe pointed it out to.

Demi noticed the looks Nate was giving and she turned to Joe "Okay so since you're having breakfast with them I assume that something good happened"

"Uhm yeah, I apologized to her and she accepted it just like that"

She opened her mouth to say something but she decided against it. Instead she smiled and said something else "That's because you're Joe" She walked closer to her, tippy toed and pressed a soft peck on his cheek "I can smell pancakes" Demi exclaimed happily as she entered the kitchen.

Miley turned around and met up with her best friend "Hey, grab a chair and join in" She took a bite of a pancake and looked around "What did you do with Joe?"

"Nothing, I'm right here" He just entered the kitchen and he sat back down on his seat.

"So Nate, I think you're the one responsible for making my daughter smile more" Greg noted and he smiled at the both of them as Miley had her head rested on his shoulder.

"Oh uhm, I think so" Nate chuckled a little and he kissed the top of her head.

"What are you guys up to today?" Greg questioned and he got of his seat and placed his plate on the counter.

"Oh, Nate and I wanted to head to the beach" Demi said and she stuffed a piece of pancake in her mouth which made everyone chuckle.

"Okay, well you guys have fun" He walked over to Miley and kissed her cheek before he looked down at his watch "I really have to go now, I'm home a bit late tonight"

"That's okay" She smiled "Good luck" She waited until she heard the door close and she turned to her friends "Today's going to be a good day"

Joe also got of his seat and weakly smiled "I think I should be heading home now"

"What are you talking about?" Miley frowned at his comment "I thought we were all going out"

When Nate noticed how comfortable Miley was acting around Joe he decided to drop the attitude and just be happy for her "Yeah, you're not going to leave me alone with these two are you?" he pointed to Miley and Demi and received a glare from Miley and a push under the table from Demi.

"Of course he isn't" Demi answered for him and she wiped her mouth as she got of her seat "What he meant is that he should be heading home to get himself ready" She pulled her jacket on again "We'll meet you guys there"

Joe was surprised at everything that was going on so he just let himself got pulled out of Miley's house by Demi.

Nate chuckled at Demi's behaviour and he just knew that she was ready to tell Joe that he's forgiven and he's happy about that. He looked at Miley who was placing the plates on the counter and he smiled "So uhm, what happened?"

"He came by last night and apologized for what happened, we talked a lot and he stayed over" She walked back to him and wrapped her arms around his neck "And don't worry, he slept on the floor"

"It's okay" He wrapped his arms around her waist "I trust you"

"Good" She responded and she leaned in for a kiss.

* * *

Joe and Demi both realized that it would be the best for everyone's sake if they would just have fun and leave the conversation that they're supposed to have for later today. And fun they were having. They just raided out a tank station on their way to the beach and Joe and Nate were actually getting along. They had a hard time standing each other in the first hour but now they were animatedly talking about the football season. Nate said how he was the captain at his last school but kind of lost the pleasure in doing so, so he turned to baseball. He thought about trying out for the team here and Joe encouraged him to do so.

Miley and Demi where talking in hushed tones on the backseat of Joe's truck. The plan was that they would meet at the beach but later Demi and Miley figured that it would be more fun if they would all go together.

"Did you tell him yet?" She questioned quietly while she looked trough her iPod for a certain song.

Demi puckered her lips and sighed "Nope" She playfully slapped Miley for her attempt to protest before she quickly continued "But I will tonight"

"That's my girl" Miley smiled down at her best friend. She tapped her fingers on the seat and stared out of the window after she pushed play on the song she had just looked for.

When Demi heard the song she gasped and couldn't help the giggles that rolled over her lips. A few minutes later she was still giggling and Nate had turned around in his seat to look at her with a frown on her face, Miley was giggling along but had no idea what she giggling along and Joe was staring at her trough the rear view mirror. "I'm fine" she managed to choke out and the guys turned back to their conversation. She calmed down and grabbed Miley's iPod from her lap and turned the volume up. "This song is on the CD" She admitted with a blush on her cheek.

"Awee, this song is the best" Miley exclaimed and she turned the volume up even more "I could never publish my love" She whispered along and she caught the look that Joe gave her when he hear her whisper the words. They both smiled and turned back to what they were doing.

After loading everything out of the truck and finding a spot on the beach, Joe and Demi were playing beach volleyball while Nate and Miley were sitting on their spot. "Are you having a good time?"

Miley pulled her knees up and smiled brightly at Nate "Definitely, it's been a long time ago" She turned her glance back to Joe and Demi "It feels good"

"I'm glad to hear that" He placed a sweet peck on her bare shoulder and he looked at her, like really looked at her. He took in the soft smile that wasn't leaving her face, her slightly pink cheeks, her cute little nose and her plump lips. H let out a content breath and he shook his head at how beautiful she was and how he got so lucky to have her. "I think I love you" He blurted out.

Miley's smile faded away and she slowly took her chin of her knees so she could look at Nate "What?" she wasn't sure if she heard it correctly. It's great if he does its just that it's so quick and all of a sudden, but then again who says it takes a certain amount of time before you can say something. She was astonished by his confession and her brain had stopped working, no words were coming out but Nate didn't look disappointed or something like that. It was then when she realized what he said 'I **_think_** I love with you'

"I'll let you know when I know for sure though" he sheepishly admitted with a blush on his cheeks.

Miley's smile returned on her face and she couldn't help but feel that this is the cutest thing he could've ever done. "You do that" She whispered while she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. Blue met brown and their lips locked together in a perfect. They pulled back when a shriek escaped Demi's lips and when they looked up they saw her getting thrown over Joe's shoulder before he set of for the sea.

"Ah, help, Miley, help" She screamed out, holding on tightly to Joe so he wouldn't drop her.

Miley laughed, let go of Nate and got of her feet and ran towards them "Joe, let her go" They were now standing in the sea, the water not getting higher then their ankles, and Joe was threatening to drop her as he was chuckling "Nate, come he-" She let out a shriek herself when Nate wrapped his arms around her and walked further into the sea with her "Help"

Joe grinned at Nate and they dropped the girls in the water at the same time. They laughed and high fived each other and watched amused how Demi and Miley appeared on the surface again while glaring daggers.

"You are so dead Gray" Demi said before she jumped at him and they started a water battle. Nate glanced at Miley before they joined them.

* * *

The ride back home had been just as fun as the day they had at the beach. And even after dropping Nate and Miley of Joe and Demi talked about everything and nothing. It was like the past year hadn't happened at all. Joe parked the car at her curb and he insisted on walking her to the door.

"Such a gentleman" Demi said with a smile when they were standing on her porch. She fixed the floppy hat that she was wearing and she dropped her beach bag by the door.

"We need to talk" Joe said and he knew that this was the time that were going to have **_the_** conversation.

"Actually we don't" Demi crossed her arms and she stepped closer to him "Because I forgive you" She figured it was about time to stop being her stubborn self and do what Miley and Nate had told her to do. Miley was right, it is Joe and so was Nate, she was keeping her happiness away from herself, but for what?

"You do?" He widened his eyes at what she had said and he was surprised at how easy it went "But I-" He got interrupted by Demi who placed her pointer finger over his lips to shut him up.

She looked at him questioning, kind of asking if he was shutting up, and when he nodded she loosely wrapped her arms around his neck. She slowly leaned in and a shiver ran down her spine when his hands came in contact with her bare skin. She hadn't have him so close for so long so she was longing for his touch, she was longing for his lips on her, so she smiled when he pulled her even closer to him She brushed her lips over his in a teasing matter and she smiled against his lips when he went in for a kiss.

He smiled in the kiss as well and he teased her bottom lip by swiftly tracing his tongue over it, begging for an entrance. He led them to the wall of her house, right next to the front door and softly pressed her against it. His hands moved up from her bare skin under her cropped shirt to her higher back.

A soft moan rolled over her lips with his touch and when she gave him the access he was begging for. Her hands moved from around his neck to his curled hair, to the sides of his face and at last to his broad chest. To both of their dismay they had to pull back from air and Demi chuckled a bit.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that" Joe breathed out and he softly pecked her lips again. He pulled back again and they stared into each other's eyes. He swallowed a lump down his throat and he looked down.

"What's wrong?" Demi whispered and slowly leaned away from the wall causing Joe to step back just a bit.

"Are you sure about this, about us?" He questioned nervously.

"Joe, you know I don't start something unless I'm completely behind it. So yeas, I'm absolutely sure. I'm sure about you" Her voice trailed of and she grabbed his hand "I'm sure about us. I love you"

A smile grew on his face and he kissed her again "I love you too" He leaned in for another kiss but they got stopped by someone who cleared his throat.

Demi looked to the side and saw her father standing there. She giggled and looked back at Joe "I think I've got to go"

Joe nodded and stepped away from her "I think so too" He awkwardly waved at her father who was just looking at them with a grin on his face before he walked back inside. He chuckled and shook his head "Okay, I'm heading out"

"I'll see you tomorrow" She tippy toed and kissed his cheek sweetly "Bye" She watched as he walked to his truck and drove away before she walked inside her house.

* * *

**Yes, another chapter written. It's so cute and all, everything is finally falling into place and I'm not quite sure if I'm slowly going to end is or bring in a few other things… Anyways, thank you for the feedback and I'm sorry if there are any mistakes.**


	15. On The Road

_Chapter fourteen_

* * *

_**2 months later**_

"So how are you and Miley doing?" Dr. Marten asked as he smiled at his patient. He's finally looking calm and collected, like an eighteen year old should be. It was nice to see him recovering from the trauma that had been created after the horrible event with his little sister. He did see him make more effort for it when he came in with his parents though. Dr. Marten finally got the idea that the family was going to be just fine.

"We're great. We're really at a good place right now. Especially since our home situation is a lot better now. She and her father have been bonding again and everything is going good with my parents and I so yeah, that definitely helped a lot, to get us where we are now" Nate said with a smile on his face "We're actually going to make a trip to New York with our friends. We're leaving this afternoon. Joe's brother has a house in the suburbs there but he's in India with his girlfriend"

"That's sounds fun. I think it's a much needed break for you, am I right?" Dr. Marten looked up from his clipboard and smiled when Nate nodded at him.

"Definitely, we have all been waiting on Spring Break just for this trip so we're all excited"

"I've been thinking for the past week, how about we reduce our sessions to twice a week?" Dr. Marten suggested and he awaited Nate's reaction.

Nate thought about it a little, for him it's easier to talk to a stranger about what's going on with him. But now that he has Miley and he can talk to his parents again he thinks that it would be a great idea to do that. So he nodded and smiled "Yeah, that would be good"

"Great" He started scribbling something on the clipboard "I'll write a little something for your parents to let them know"

"Thank you"

* * *

Miley zipped up her bag and let out a huff when she let herself fall down on her bed. Just when she was lying comfortable her phone started vibrating in the back pocket of her jeans shorts and she took it out. She unlocked her phone and softly smiled at the message that she got.

_**Yeah sure, I'll be heading there right now. See you there.**_

Miley hopped of her bed and quickly slipped her feet into her worn out Converse. She made her way down the stairs and grabbed her purse of the couch in the living room and placed it over her shoulder "Dad?" She called out and she walked inside the kitchen where he was standing trying to wake up with coffee. "Hey, I'm going out for breakfast"

Gregg nodded his head and eyed the clock "Okay, with who are you going, a friend?"

Miley looked at him slantwise and puckered her lips as she thought about it "I'm not quite sure how to call it. I'll let you know when I get back though"

He frowned at her vague answer but shrugged it off "Okay, you're leaving at one-thirty right?"

"Yes" She answered after she took a bite of the apple she grabbed.

"All right, I have got to run some errands but I'll make sure to be back before one-thirty" He placed his coffee cup down and kissed her temple "Be safe"

She smiled at him and gave him a quick hug "I will" She opened the front door and waved at him as he walked up the stairs. She closed the door behind her and walked down the steps. She walked to her car that was parked at the curb, got in and made her way to Coffee Bean for breakfast.

She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel along with the music but also because she was nervous. They haven't talked since that one day almost three months ago so she was surprised that they could come to an agreement to meet up. Miley felt that she had to do this before she left for the trip with Nate, Demi and Joe. She bit her bottom lip when she pulled up in the parking lot and recognized the car. She stepped out of her own, locked it behind her and walked inside. She tippy toed as she looked around and she took a deep breath when she found the person she was looking for. She walked over and softly smiled "Hey, thanks for meeting me"

Selena looked up when she heard her voice and she immediately got up from her seat "Yeah, no problem. I'm just confused though, the last time we talked it didn't really turn out well"

"I know and I want to apologize for that" Miley sat down and hung her purse around her seat before looking back at Selena who was now seated herself too. "I was angry and I had absolutely no right to yell at you like that"

Selena looked at her with her eyes widened as she tried to take in her words "Uhmm okay I guess"

"It's just that the past couple of months everything has been going great with me and I can't help but feel that there's something missing" Miley softly spoke. She looked up from her fingers were she was fidgeting with and she bit her bottom lip waiting for her reaction.

"And what would that be?" Selena asked confused, not knowing where she was going with this conversation.

"I have a strong feeling that it's you" Miley blurted out and she sat up straighter when Selena chuckled.

"Me?" She chuckled in disbelieve, thinking that what Miley was saying was crazy "You can't be missing me Miley. Did you forget all the horrible things I put you trough?" Her chuckle fading as she saw the smile on Miley's face.

"Selena, you were my best friend. You were there when I made my first steps, you were there when I kissed Seth on the cheek in kindergarten, you were there when they rolled my mom in the hospital the first time and every other time after that and although you didn't live up to my mother's final wish at first, you can still do it now" She slowly reached over for her hand and took it in hers "Selena, I want my best friend back and I know that you are not the person who did those horrible things to me, not anymore"

Selena bit down her bottom lip trying very hard to keep her tears in. She didn't want to cry, not when something was happening where she has been waiting for. She's been so stupid by treating Miley like shit and it took her a year to come around. She looked up at Miley, still trying to push back the tears "So you don't think I'm a monster?" Her lip quivered and tears started to roll down her cheeks.

_Miley stepped away from her "You're a monster Selena" She looked up at her trough her eyelashes while she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "If I find out that you still visit my mom, I will rip your head of" She spoke seriously, she leaned down to grab her backpack and swayed it over her shoulder "You stay away from her" She warned before stomping her way to the cafeteria, leaving behind a crying Selena._

Miley thought back at when she said that and looking at Selena now she realized that she must've really hurt her with those words "You're far from it" She got up from her seat and sat down at the one next to Selena "I'm sorry"

Selena wiped her tears away and sniffed "I'm sorry too, so much" They looked at each other for a little while until she wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. "You're a wonderful person Miley Stewart"

"And so are you" Miley hugged her back and wiped away the tears that escaped her own eyes.

* * *

Demi placed her last bag on the bottom of the stairs and let out a huff. She frowned when she heard how quiet it was in the house. Her parents are at the supermarket but Joe and her little brother – Owen – are around here somewhere. It was around eleven A.M but everyone was out of bed by eight to make everything ready for the trip. Joe had stayed over and because he already packed his things he kept Owen busy.

Demi ran her fingers trough her hair and walked inside the living room cooing at the scene in front of her. Owen was sitting on Joe's lap with his head leaned against his chest and he was almost asleep and Joe was completely passed out still with the remote in his hands. "Awe" Demi tippy toed her way to them and placed her hands on Owen's legs "Hey bud"

Owen opened his eyes and yawed. He cuddled a little closer to Joe before tiredly moving his head to his sister "Hey Demi" He whispered tiredly.

"How about I take you to bed and wake you up when we leave? You got up pretty early today didn't you?" She whispered back and she helped him get off Joe's lap without waking him up.

Owen nodded and extended his arms so she could pick him up "I couldn't sleep"

She let out a sigh and tilted him up, placing him on his hip "You're getting heavy my friend" She moved up the stairs with him.

"I'm already seven" He held up seven fingers before leaning his head against her chest.

"Yes you are" She opened his bedroom door and placed him in bed.

"Promise you wake me up?" He whispered while he was getting tugged in.

"Promise" Demi placed a soft kiss on his forehead and walked out of his room. Remembering a few things that she forgot she walked to her own room and grabbed them before heading down the stairs again. She quickly placed the stuff in her bag and walked back inside the living room where Joe was rubbing his eyes "Hey there hot shot"

Joe stopped rubbing his eyes and he looked up at his girlfriend who was walking up to him "Hey" He mumbled tiredly "I'm sorry I passed out, is there anything I can still do?" He placed his hands on her hips and gently pulled her on his lap.

"Nah" She smiled at him and laced her fingers trough his curls "Are you happy?" She suddenly asked while she looked him in the eyes.

Joe raised his brow and looked at her slantwise "Of course I'm happy… are you?" He questioned a bit confused.

"I am, I am" She said quickly and she dropped her head in the nape of his neck "It's just that we have waited so long for this and now we finally have it and I want you to be happy"

A soft smile creeped its way up his face and he made her look at him "You're adorable" He whispered before kissing her softly.

Demi moaned softly as his tongue was begging for access which she gladly gave him and she turned them around so she was lying on top of him. They pulled back for air after a little while and she pecked his lips sweetly.

He smiled again and leaned up, pecking her nose "I love you"

"You do, don't you" She teased and when she saw the look he gave her she giggled and stared in his eyes again "I do to too" She replied while lacing their fingers together. She placed her head on his chest and closed her eyes "Very much"

* * *

"Nate?" Casey walked out onto the driveway and smiled when she saw him "Hey"

Nate looked up after he placed the last bag in his car and closed the trunk "Hey you're up" He walked up to her and kissed her cheek "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I was just terribly tired" She smiled softly and they walked back inside the house together and into the kitchen. "Where's your father?"

He let out a soft chuckle and lifted himself on the counter, popping a grape in his mouth "He said he went to the grocery store"

She let out a giggle but when she saw that Nate was serious she gasped "Your father, my beloved husband who has never stepped foot in a grocery store went grocery shopping?"

"I know" Nate commented and he brushed his jeans "I know, did he get you mad or something?"

She gasped again and pushed him playfully "No he did not Nathaniel" She moved around the kitchen getting out a pan and eggs "Do you want some lunch?"

He nodded and pulled out his phone when it vibrated in his pocket "Is it okay if Joe and Demi join us?" He asked when he read the text that was saying that they were here within ten minutes.

"Sure" She cracked the eggs open in the pan and washed her hands "When is Miley coming?"

He frowned at the question and he looked at the time again "I don't know, she was supposed to be here a little while ago. I'll call her" He dialled her number, which he knows by heart, and waited for her to pick up.

* * *

"She always liked lilies didn't she" Selena sniffed and rubbed her nose with watery eyes while staring at the stone in front of her.

Miley took a deep breath and squeezed Selena's hand which she was already holding tightly for support "She did" She softly smiled at the stone in front of her and she slowly released Selena's hand and bended to the level of the stone to slightly touch it "She's here mom. I know you told me and I have to be honest that I didn't believe you until she talked to me a month ago, but she's here for me and I'm there for her, just like you wished" Her voice cracked and with a huff she looked down and placed her head in her hands. She bit down her bottom lip hard and tried to keep her tears in "God mom, I've been missing you a lot lately. You know that I'm with Nate and I'm relying a lot on his mom and I think she does the same with me because she lost her daughter. Oh, mom I think you two would've been great friends although you're not a like. I think you would've made it work" She took a deep breath and lifted her head, staring at the stone again "You made it work with dad" She said in a tone which sounded like a sob and a chuckle. She stood straight again and looked at Selena who was wiping her tears away.

"Look at us, we're a mess" She giggled trough her tears "Thank you for taking me with you Miley"

"You deserve to be here just as much as I do" Miley glanced at the stone one last time and linked her arm with Selena's "Let's get out of here"

* * *

"There you are" Nate smiled up at Miley who came in dragging her bag behind her. She looked gorgeous with her jeans shorts and simple black bustier she was wearing. She had cut her hair two weeks ago and went blonde and she looks down right beautiful. Nate got up from the barstool and walked up to her.

"Hello" She waved at everyone in the kitchen and smiled up at Nate "Hey there" She tippy toed a bit and pecked his lips sweetly. "Sorry, I lost track of time"

"Where were you then?" He asked while pushing a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

"Oh, do you want some lunch before you guys head out?" His mom asked, having no idea that she was interrupting them.

"Later" She whispered to Nate before looking at her "I'd love too, I'm starving"

"Aren't you always?" Demi joked and stuck her tongue out at her best friend.

"Starving and proud" Miley grinned goofily and while Demi and Nate rolled their eyes Joe gave her a high five "I knew I could count on you buddy"

"You know it Stewart" He patted her shoulder and smiled when she sat on the barstool where Nate was sitting on earlier and started on her lunch.

Nate walked over to where Miley's bag that was still standing at the opening of the kitchen and he lifted it up "I'm putting the last bag in the car" He opened the front door and smiled when his dad just got out of his car with plastic bags. "Hey dad"

David lifted his head and juggled with all the bags he was holding "Hey son, can I get a help here?"

Nate shook his head chuckling and dropped Miley's bag by the car and walked up to his dad "So, what exactly made you go to the grocery store" He grabbed a few bags from his dad and together they made their way back to the house.

"Well, you're mom was quite upset last night. I don't know if you heard her but she woke up in the middle of the night and just cried. She passed out around six am, I think" David rubbed his eyes, because he was still extremely tired. He had to stay up to comfort his wife and the amount of coffee that he had wasn't really helping with waking him up.

"It's Emily isn't it?" Nate quietly asked before they entered the kitchen.

David nodded shortly and smiled brightly at his wife when he saw her surprised face "Hey"

Casey looked up and clapped her hands together while giggling "I can't believe you actually went to the grocery store" She walked over to him, took the bags out of his hands and pecked his lips sweetly "Thank you hun"

Nate placed the other bags on the counter and wrapped his arm around Demi who just came back from the restroom "You ready to go little one"

"Shut it Nate" She pouted as she looked up at him.

He ruffled her hair "You know that I'm just messing with you" He took out his phone and looked at the time "Guys, I think it's time to go" He announced after he saw that Miley was done with her lunch.

"Oh baby, please be careful" Casey walked up to him and pulled him in a tight hug.

"I will mom, promise" He comforted her and placed a kiss on her cheek.

She pulled back with a soft smile and kissed his forehead "Bye baby" She walked to Demi and Miley who were standing next to each other and she pulled them both in a hug "Be safe you too"

Demi smiled brightly when they pulled back "We will"

Miley nodded, confirming, but pulled her in another hug, holding on for dear life. Just like she said when she was at her mother's grave. They rely on each other, Miley needs a mother in her life and Casey needs someone to watch over as if she's her daughter. Miley also placed a kiss on her cheek and smiled again "Bye" She looked around looking for Nate, but found Joe saying goodbye to David and Casey instead. She smiled at the scene and figured that Nate was already outside so she slipped out of the house as well "Hey, are you driving?"

He shook his head and placed his hands on her hips "Nah, I feel like cuddling with my wonderful girlfriend"

"Ah, you're so cheesy" She chuckled but she did look at him lovingly trough her thick lashes. They kept looking at each other in complete silence until Joe, Demi, David and Casey walked out. She patted his chest and turned to everyone else "Ready to go?"

Nate grabbed the keys out of his pockets and threw them to Joe "You're driving"

"Sweet" Joe grinned when he caught the keys. He opened the door of the driver's seat and started the car.

Demi followed right behind him and opened the door of the passenger seat. She opened her bag and took out one of the mix CD that Joe made and put it in the stereo. She tapped her fingers on her knees and waited patiently until Miley and Nate got settled in the backseat.

After waving goodbye to Nate's parents Joe backed out of the driveway and they were on the road

* * *

"Ugh" Demi groaned when Joe woke her up to ask if she wanted to have something from the tank station they were at. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and peeked out to Joe underneath the hood from his hoodie that she was wearing. "Just some water" She mumbled sleepily.

Joe parked the car and kissed her forehead sweetly "Sorry for waking you up" He looked at the backseat and saw that Nate had already gotten out of the car to fill up the tank "Miles, are you coming with me?"

Miley yawed but nodded and she opened the door, climbing out of the Jeep "Oh my god, I can't feel my legs" She let out another yawn and she shivered when a soft breeze blew against them. She snuggled into Nate's hoodie and got a hold of Joe's arm, who was walking ahead of her with his long legs "Joe, short legs over here" She called out.

Joe snickered and opened the door for them to enter "Sorry, I forgot" He let the door close behind him and the bell chimed when it did. He watched after Miley as she walked to the food section and he made sure that she was okay before he went to the drink section.

Miley rubbed her nose and smiled big when she found that they had her favourite ice cream. She grabbed a cube and went on the search for Demi's favourite Pop-Tarts, Brown Sugar Cinnamon, Joe's favourite candy, the Giant Strawberries from Haribo and pickles for Nate – who has a crazy obsession with them. Miley looked over her shoulder to find that Nate had already finished tanking and was now talking to Demi who seemed a bit more woken up then she did about a minute ago. She looked around the store and when she found her items she met up with Joe at the counter.

"You got me Giant Strawbs, awesome" He commented extremely enthusiastic and he pulled out his wallet to pay for everything.

Miley leaned her body against Joe's and let out a sigh. When she looked up at the guy behind the counter she furrowed her eyes together because the look he was giving her, so when he turned away because Joe asked for a pack of gun that was standing behind him, she tippy toed and whispered in Joe's ear "He's creeping me out"

Joe pulled back and stared at the guy with his brow raised. He slammed the money on the counter when he had scanned everything "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't look at my friend like that"

"Well, if she's not your girlfriend I can do whatever the hell I want" The guy retorted with a grin on his face.

Nate tilted his head while he looked at Joe and Miley who were already standing at the counter, paying their stuff. He was about to turn his attention back to Demi when he noticed Joe's defensive composure and how Miley was practically hiding behind him. It didn't seem good to him at all.

"That's where you're wrong buddy, because her boyfriend's actually outside" Joe pointed to Nate who was clearly debating if he would walk up to them "And he won't hesitate beating the crap out of you, creep" He grabbed everything of the counter.

Miley helped him but she kept a tight grip on his arm as they hurried out of the store.

"Hey, is everything alright?' Nate asked when he met up with them halfway. He got a hold of Miley's hand and the three of them walked to the car where Demi was still sitting, completely oblivious to what happened.

"I'm fine, I just want to get out of here" She looked over her shoulder and saw that the guy was still looking at them.

Nate led her to the passenger seat and placed her there before closing the door for her. He handed the things that he has taken out of Miley's hands on Demi's lap, who was now settled on the backseat with Joe, and he walked around the car and got in the driver's seat. Making sure that everyone was comfortable he started the car and they were on their way again.

* * *

Since Demi was the one with the key, she was the first to step foot in their motel room that they had for the night. She let out a relieved sigh and immediately kicked out her shoes and took Joe's hoodie off. She giggled lowly when she felt Joe's hands on her hips, slowly sneaking their way under her simple white shirt. They fell on the bed and she cuddled close to his chest.

Joe placed a kiss on her jaw and down to her neck where he nuzzled his nose "I'm exhausted"

"Me too" Demi muttered back already drifting off to sleep but while she did she tangled their legs together and let out a content breath. She was glad that she had listened to Miley and Nate and of course to her heart. She genuinely thinks that she has made the right decision by letting Joe back into her life again, but then again, she couldn't resist him anymore because of all the mix CD's and the enchanting smiles and the kisses they had shared. And these were the last things on her mind as she cuddled a little closer to him and surrendered to her tiredness.

Nate walked inside after them and saw their interaction and he shook his head with a big smile on his face because of it. The two of them are crazy for one another, which reminds him… He looked behind him and noticed that Miley wasn't right behind him like she was only a few seconds ago. He dropped the bags on their bed and headed out the door again, finding her at one of the pool chairs. He walked back inside to grab the keys where Demi had dropped them and walked out again, closing the door behind him. "Hey, what are you still doing out here?"

Miley turned her head and smiled when she saw it was Nate "Not much, just not so tired after all" She was sitting in Indian style but wanting Nate to sit close to her, she moved her legs so he could sit in between her legs.

"Mhm, can I say that you're a terrible liar?" He sat down between her legs and he looked down at the pool as she wrapped them around his waist, so they were resting on his lap. He looked up again when she wrapped her arms his torso and leaned her head against his back "So are you going to tell me what's wrong or not?" He whispered in the darkness.

"Are you okay? You've been a bit down since you entered the kitchen with your father" She whispered back and patiently awaited his reaction while she gazed up at the stars.

Nate let out a sigh when he realized what she was talking about "Apparently my mom got up in the middle of the night and cried her eyes out because she's missing Emily and when my dad told me that I realized that everything's going fine the last couple of weeks but we're still not exactly grieving. I'm forgetting Miley, I'm forgetting about my little sister" His voice broke at the end and he dropped his head in his hands "I haven't thought about her in two months and I just, I'm forgetting the way she used to say my name when she wanted something from me and I'm forgetting how her hugs were, it's like I'm erasing her from my mind"

Miley of course noticed how defeated he sounded but it was only when his body shook that she realized he was crying. She leaned her head off his back and she unwrapped her legs from around his waist. She got off the pool chair and bended down to his level in front of him "Nate" She placed her hands on his knees and tried to look at his face but he wouldn't let her "Nate listen, you're not forgetting, you're talking about it with Dr. Marten right? You're giving it a special place. You know exactly how she sounded when she wanted something from you and you know exactly how her hugs felt like, you're just giving it a place Nate and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, do you hear me?" But when he didn't react to her she let out a sigh "Come on Nate, don't do this" She whispered worriedly "Don't sell yourself short, you are **not** forgetting your sister"

Nate took his head out of his hands and blindly went in search for Miley's hand, while he figured that she knew what she wanted he found it quickly, and he pulled her on his lap, burying his face in the nape of her neck "I just miss her so much" He sobbed and his arms wrapped tightly around her body. He was holding on for dear life, Miley was the only one that could make him feel better at the moment and though he was a bit sceptical about what she said, he was starting to believe it. "Thank you for this" He whispered as he pulled back from her neck. He looked down at her shirt and slightly blushed "I'm sorry for wetting your shirt" He sniffed.

"I don't give a damn about that shirt, I care about you" She responded sweetly while wiping the remaining tears off his face "Stop blaming yourself Nathaniel" She smiled softly when he nodded in response and she leaned her forehead against his. She wanted to open her mouth and talk to him about what happened with Selena today but she felt like the moment would be ruined if she would speak up right now, and besides, talking wouldn't be necessary while having his lips on hers.

He pulled her a bit closer, one hand on the small of her back and the other resting on the back of her head as their lips were joined in a passionate kiss. They pulled back for air after a little while and while Nate went in for another kiss he felt Miley lean back a bit.

She took a breath and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a sweet kiss on his cheek, she then moved her lips to his ear "You know you can count on me right?" She whispered.

His arms closed around her petite waist and he hugged her back "I know"

* * *

Joe stirred and turned his head, which was a big mistake because he was faced by the burning sun that was shining trough the window and straight on his face. He groaned loudly and he could feel himself completely wake up by the sound of loud laughs and water running. He rolled around the bed and so noticed that Demi wasn't in it anymore. Even though he was as good as awake he still wouldn't dare to open his eyes, well that was until he heard a door open and close. He propped himself up with the help of his elbows and was faced by Nate who was dressed in a white shirt with khaki pants that reached his knees and a towel around his neck.

"Morning dude" Nate greeted with a grin and he chuckled when Joe fell back on the bed.

Joe groaned something that sounded like 'morning' and rolled around in the bed once more, but this time he got tangled in the sheets, trying to get himself out of it he rolled away to far and landed face flat on the floor. "Fuck my life" He murmured and he even considered falling asleep on the floor but then he remembered that they were in a motel and he had no idea what had happened on the floor. So, while he was getting laughed at by Nate, he got up and grumpily scratched his head "Where are Miley and Demi?"

Nate pointed towards the window and waved at the girls who were playing around in the pool "We should probably leave soon, get some breakfast and get back on the road again"

"I need coffee" Joe moaned and he stretched himself, getting a sniff of himself "And a shower, definitely a shower" He said while he pulled his face and he made his way to the bathroom.

Nate shook his head chuckling and he opened the door and walked over to the poolside, not noticing that they were engaged in a pretty serious conversation "Good morning"

Demi quickly gave Miley a certain look, saying that they would have to continue later, before turning to Nate with a smile on her face "Morning pretty boy, where's my man?" She looked over his shoulders but couldn't find Joe.

"He's in the shower" He absently said as he was looking at Miley who was lifting herself out of the pool.

"Oh, I'd better go join him" Demi said with a grin on her face and she also lifted herself out of the pool and grabbed her towel from the pool chair before tippy toeing her way back to their room.

Nate pulled a face at her words and turned back to Miley who now had her towel wrapped around herself, to his dismay "I swear to God those two are hornier than the dogs we had"

Miley's eyes lit up and she sat down next to him at the poolside "Awe, you had dogs? I would love to have one" She smiled at him and placed her hand above her eyes so she could look at him properly "You've never told me much about the life that you led before you moved here, is it because of Emily?"

He nodded and looked down at his hands on his lap "And Lucy and my friends. Things were so different there and I sincerely thought that I was going to miss it there, but I don't" He moved his gaze to Miley and lightly shrugged his shoulders "I think that's why I don't talk about it, it's not important to me anymore"

A grin grew on Miley's face and she scooted closer to him "Oh, so what's important to you now?"

Nate noticed her grin and the glint in her eyes so he just shook his head "You know what's important to me. You just want to hear me say it"

"And what's so wrong about that?" She pouted.

"It's you" He whispered "You're important to me now" He added and he mirrored her smile when he was leaning in. He connected their lips in a soft kiss and he felt her smiling trough it. He pulled back and cocked an eyebrow up "Are you happy now?"

She bit her bottom lip and nodded "Very"

* * *

"Ah" Joe exclaimed right after he finished the last bite of his burger "I seriously need to take a piss" He got up from his seat and walked to the restroom.

"Geese, Joe, can't you be a little more subtle please?" Nate said after him and he also got up "I'll be right back" He walked to the restroom after him.

Demi looked over her shoulders to see if he was gone before she leaned over the table to Miley, starting up the conversation at where they had left it at the pool about an hour ago "Okay, so you had breakfast with her, what did you do afterwards because you only got at Nate's house around lunch time?"

Miley took a sip of her cola and she nodded "Well, we went to visit my mom" She said quietly.

Demi opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. She leaned back in her seat "Oh" She eventually managed to say "But that's good right, you forgave her now. Are you friends again?"

Miley shrugged her shoulders lightly "I don't know, I guess" She was still a bit sceptical about that part. Sure she forgave her, but she wondered if they were ever going to be like they were a few years ago. She let out a sigh and absently started sipping on her ice tea again. She didn't even know if she wanted to be the way that they were before.

"Hey, everything will be just fine" Demi reassured her with a soft smile "You'll work it out"

"Work what out?" Joe asked with his brow raised wondering what they were talking about. It looked like a pretty serious conversation so he wasn't sure if he was even allowed to know.

"What I'm going to wear for our double date tonight" Miley lied perfectly, consciously avoiding Nate's eyes to not reveal herself "I didn't really pack anything date worthy so I'm afraid we'll have to go shopping"

Nate groaned but extended his hand for her to grab and get up "You're going to be the end of me one day Miley Stewart"

She grabbed his hand and with his help she got up. Lacing their fingers together they started to make their way out of the restaurant "Let me go then" She dared him, of course she was joking but she couldn't help the feeling she got as if she was partially serious. She and Nate have been in a great relationship right from the start but with everything that has occurred in her life she sometimes feels like it's too good to be true. Like in a spur of a moment he won't look at her with that special glint in his eyes, or that he won't grab her hand just because he wants to be able to have her close, that he won't chuckle at her when she makes a complete fool out of herself, that he won't join their lips together in a passionate and needy kiss. She's afraid that everyone who's in her life right now would just drop her, Joe, Demi, Nate, Selena and also even her dad. She sometimes feels like she doesn't deserve to be at the place that she is now.

"Never" He assured her with a certain tone. He knew she was joking and he heard her daring tone but what made him frown was when she seemed to zone out right after she said it, which made him answer sincere instead of jokingly, the way that he intended to answer.

Miley bit her bottom lip and squeezed his hand "thank you"

Nate looked down at her with a smile on his face "For what exactly?" He questioned and he stopped in front of the car and waited until Joe unlocked the car so he could open the door for Miley.

"For being so amazing to me" She tippy toed and placed a soft kiss on his cheek "So thank you"

"Oh that, because you know, being amazing comes natural baby" He winked at her and closed the door only to be met by a laughing Demi and Joe. "What, what are you laughing at?"

Miley rolled down the window and was laughing along with them "Oh hunny, you know why we're laughing, now get in people I need a little black dress"

Joe widened his eyes and immediately stared Demi down "Little black dress huh?" He scooped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him "Are you going to wear one?"

Demi grinned and turned around in his arms "Well probably"

"Red lips?" He whispered in her ear while gently rocking them from side to side.

Nate rolled his eyes at them and took his keys out of Joe's hand "I'm driving and Joe, you're going to be seated on the passenger seat. I don't want some funny stuff happening in the backseat"

"Excuse me?" Demi gasped in pretend surprise. She smiled at Joe who got in the passenger seat and walked around the car, getting in next to Miley "Who says I don't like it both ways?" She quickly glanced at Miley, telling her to play along.

Nate closed the door of the drivers seat behind him and arched his brow as he looked at them trough the rear view mirror "Well, I don't really like to share my girl" He looked away, placed his sunglasses over his eyes and started the car.

Miley burst out in a fit of giggles and threw her head back "Oh my god, can you see that" She pointed at Nate who was turning red at the moment "He's jealous" She exclaimed and she wrapped her arm around Demi "You're jealous"

"Am not" He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and sat straight in his car seat.

"Dude, you're so whipped. There's not even something to be jealous about" Joe chuckled as he rolled down the window.

"You're so weird, but I love you" Miley patted his shoulder and leaned back in her seat again.

Nate widened his eyes and a huge smile started forming on his face. He quickly looked over his shoulders to Miley and realized that she didn't realize what she had said to him for the first time. He turned his attention back on the road but still with the bright smile on his face_. She loves me_, he thought.

Joe noticed his bright smile and nudged him "What are you smiling at?"

Nate shrugged his shoulders lightly and shook his head "Nothing" He glanced over at Miley trough the rear view mirror and bit down his bottom lip trying to suppress his smile. He could easily say that he's the luckiest man on earth right now.

* * *

"Me and you, we killed it. We're like the best team on earth" Demi exclaimed excitedly as she leaned onto Joe when they were standing in front of their hotel room.

"I know right?" Miley responded, she started moving her hands as if she was hitting something "With a little bit of that and this" She dropped her arms again and let out a somewhat dreamy smile "We were amazing, we were, weren't we Joe?" She stared at him with glossy eyes.

Joe put his thumb up and rolled his eyes at Nate "I'll see you in the morning" He managed to open the door with Demi in his arms and he brought her inside.

"Night" Nate opened the door of their hotel room and steadied Miley "Are you okay there? Can I let you go?"

She nodded and watched how he closed the door behind him and pulled off his jacket "My lip hurts" She softly let her fingers over it and she winced.

"Let me have a look" Nate turned on the lights, which blinded the both of them for a second, and he stepped close to her examining her face "It's bust open, I think that girl did that to you"

"I bet she looks way worse, that's what she gets for trying to hit on my man, same goes for the girl who was trying to hit on Joe" She let out a groan when she realized that zipping her dress down wasn't going like she wanted to. "Can you help me?" She turned her back to Nate and moved her hair to the side.

"Of course" He whispered back and he grabbed the zipper of her little black dress that hugged her body on all the right places and he slowly zipped it down. He found himself swallowing a lump down his throat when he saw that she wasn't wearing a bra. "There you go" When he saw she was about to turn to him, her dress now fallen to the floor and only standing in front of him in her panties, he quickly took off the shirt he was wearing and handed it over to her "Here, you can sleep in that" He cleared his throat and turned away from her, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Awe, thank you" She pulled his shirt on and walked her way to the twin sized bed. She dropped herself on it and stared at Nate with a smile on her face as he stepped out of his jeans "Come here" She patted the spot next to her and she got under the covers while he turned off the lights.

He slipped in beside her and smiled when she cuddled up to him almost immediately "How are you feeling gorgeous?"

"I think I might be a little buzzed" She admitted with a cheeky giggle "But other then that, I'm just glad to be lying in your arms" She mumbled contently.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you today." He blurted out and he closed his eyes as response to the words that rolled over his lips. He was going to wait for the right moment and now he ruined it.

"Tell me what?" She leaned her head back so she could look at his face in the darkness and she patiently waited for him to speak up.

"I'd tell you if I knew for sure that I love you. So, I love" He caressed her cheek and laced his fingers trough her blonde locks and it was there at that moment, when she was looking up at him with her piercing blue eyes after she fought with some girl at a bar over him, that she looked so absolutely breathtaking, that he didn't care if she didn't love him back. He figured that she deserved to know because he wasn't planning on hiding his feelings for her. "Do you love me too?" He questioned oh so quietly that he wondered if she heard him.

Miley closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying having him so close. Sure she was buzzed but she was sober enough to say the words back truthfully. Her heart was bursting out of her chest from happiness and today was the day that she got the answer tot the question that she asked herself when she was ten years old, she always wondered if she was going to experience the same epic love as her parents had, and she is, she really is. She placed a soft kiss on his bare chest and looked up at him "I do. I do love you" She responded and she smiled wider when he moved his hand to the small of her back, pulling her as close as possible "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you, because you make me feel so…" His voice trailed off as he was still processing what had happened. "Because you're amazing" He closed the gap between them by kissing her passionately.

* * *

**I'm so so sorry that it took so long, but I think that this chapter makes it up a little… I think this story is coming to it's end soon, though I'm not exactly sure, how, it is coming sadly. Also sorry if there are any mistakes and let me know what you think.**


	16. Fun In The Suburbs I

**_Thank you so much NileyLover for reminding me to update this story. Things have been crazy busy with school since I'm in my final year. _**

**_I've been wrapping up my stories on YouTube first so I could completely focus on my stories here on FanFiction. _**

**_This is my last week of school before I have two weeks off from school. I promise that I'll do a lot of writing._**

**_Sorry that it took me so long, but I hope you guys will like it anyway. Thank you for your amazing feedback. It's what keeps me going!_**

* * *

"Oh my god, I am beat" Demi moaned as they dropped their selves on a bench in the middle of the shopping centre. She placed her coffee cup against her lips and took a sip, closing her eyes at how good the caffeine felt on this early morning. Well, technically it isn't morning anymore, actually it's one P.M, but she was having a throbbing headache and she was feeling exhausted so to her body it is actually early in the morning.

"I completely agree" Miley laced her fingers trough her locks and let out a deep breath "Why did we decide to drink that much last night?" She took a sip of her latte and looked at the people that were walking around the mall.

Demi chuckled lowly and shook her head, sliding her sunglasses in front of her eyes. "I don't even know, I feel awful" She leaned her head on Miley's shoulder and took another sip of her coffee.

"And my lips still hurts" Miley touched it lightly with her thumb and she let out another sigh "But, I haven't had so much fun as I'm having on this trip. I finally feel like Joe and I are going back to how we were before but stronger you know. Just like you and I did" She softly smiled at how good everything is going for her now.

"And how about you and Nate, how is that going?" Demi questioned curiously. She wasn't blind, she has seen how great they looked together but they're both kind of known for hiding things.

"Well we uhm" Miley could feel the blush move up to her cheeks and she leaned her head on Demi's, which was still resting on her shoulder. "We said 'I love you' to each other last night. I mean I was pretty drunk but sober enough to mean what I said and it's true, I do love him. He's great for me you know?"

"I do know" Demi smiled brightly. This is everything she ever wanted for Miley. She's finally living the life that she was destined to live. She has a great guy, everything is slowly going back to normal with her dad and she has friends who she can count on "This trip is fun isn't it?" She leaned her head off her shoulder, still with the smile on her face.

"It is, but when we get back I would like you to meet my mom" Miley bit her bottom lip and looked up at her best friend trough her lashes, waiting for her reaction in anticipation. Demi knows who her mom was and she was around when she died but she had only seen her occasionally. She never went along to the hospital or anything, simply because they weren't that close back then.

Demi frowned at her words and tapped her fingers on the side of her coffee cup as her mind raced about where this was coming from. She had seen and talked to Rachel before, so she didn't exactly get what Miley meant. "What do you mean? I've seen your mother before, haven't I?" She pushed her sunglasses away from her eyes and up on top of her head again.

"You have yeah, but you haven't officially met her and well, you're a really important person in my life right now so I want you to meet **the most** important person in my life" She explained with a small smile tugging on her lips. She didn't know why but she was a bit nervous about asking Demi. "You don't have to if you don't want to, or you can think about it first. I don't know, I" Her voice trailed off and she giggled a bit, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, I'm a bit" Her voice trailed off again and she smiled up at Demi hopefully.

Demi was staring at Miley with her lips parted in surprise. Demi wasn't a girl too cry that easily when something happened. She always managed to choke it up, unless she's watching Nicholas Sparks' movies and other dramatic stuff, so she surprised the both of them when she felt tears spring in her eyes. Miley asking her to go meet her mother touched her so much that she just couldn't help but get teary. "I don't need to think about it. I would be honoured to meet your mom Miles" She leaned towards her and gave her a big and long hug "Thank you for asking"

"No problem Dem, I think she's going to love you just as much as I do" Miley pulled back and placed her hands on her knees.

"I hope she will" Demi giggled and she reached for her phone in her pockets because it was vibrating "Oh hey, it's Nate" She pressed the answer button and put the phone over her ear "Hello, you're speaking with the second most gorgeous girl in the world"

"Who's the first?" Nate asked amused.

"You're girlfriend, duh" She chuckled and poked Miley who was giggling along "So what's up dude?"

_"Nothing much, we're ready to go. How far are you girls?"_ He turned to Joe who was checking them out at the front desk and he motioned that he was on the phone.

"Yup, just let us get some more coffee for the trip and we'll be there in ten" She got off the bench with Miley and they started walking back to the place where they got coffee before.

_"All right that's fine. We'll see you then and be careful"_ He warned.

"Will be, bye Nate" Demi hung up and slipped her phone back in her pocket. "Are you ready to go on the road again?"

Miley wrapped her arm around her and smiled "Let's do this"

* * *

"Are we almost there yet?" Miley groaned while she leaned her head on the back of the driver's seat where Joe was sitting on. They had been driving for the past four hours and it was incredibly hot. The air conditioning was on but it was still unbearable.

"We're there right about…" His voice trailed off and he slowed the car down, parking the car on the driveway. "Now"

"Now?" Miley lifted her head up and the four off them all stared at the huge house in front of them. "This is awesome" She shrieked in enthusiasm and together with Demi, they jumped out of the car and ran up the steps to the front door.

Demi jumped up and down as she waited impatiently until the guys would catch up with them "We can take everything out of the car later. All we need now is an iPod and drinks. Let's go, let's go" She clapped her hands together and smiled brightly when Joe took out the key and opened the door. "Please tell me that there's a pool" She demanded to know while they walked inside the spacious living room.

Joe nodded with a grin on his face "Trough that door" He pointed to the door that led to the veranda and he walked into the kitchen himself.

"I'm going in with you" Nate screamed out and he pulled his shirt off while they ran onto the backyard together. Demi was pulling her dress off but was way too slow for Nate's liking so he ran towards her, wrapped his arm around her and jumped in the pool.

"Nathan" She screeched when she appeared on the surface. "It's that it's ridiculously hot right now and that this is refreshing, other wise I would've killed you"

"You love me" He retorted as he swam around her with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah I do" She nodded and she managed to take her dress off anyway, so she threw it onto one of the lounge chairs.

Miley was helping Joe in the kitchen. They were looking for food and drinks but were now laughing at Demi and Nick who were goofing around in the pool. "You know, I'm so glad that you and Demi got back together and that Demi and Nick like each other and that you get along with Nick, it's like everything's perfect and that's really awesome"

"It is and you deserve it little one" Joe tipped her nose and scratched the back of his neck "I think we have to drop by the supermarket, it's about ten minutes away by car. Are you coming?" He gathered his keys and wallet and walked towards the veranda to tell Demi and Nick.

"Yeah sure" She skipped after him and made a jump at his back. She chuckled when he almost fell forwards but managed to keep them up "So uhm, who's up for a barbeque?"

"That's a great idea little one" Joe still had his wallet and keys in his hands so he gave them to Miley "Can you put those in your purse?"

"Yeah sure" She hit him on his head with his wallet, receiving a glare and some murmurs "But stop calling me little one" She dropped his stuff in her purse that was around her shoulder and she loosely wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"But we need to get to the supermarket if we want to barbeque so we'll be back in a bit" Joe announced and he was about to turn around and walk back in when Nate's voice stopped him.

"Come on it's only around five P.M, I don't know about you but I'm not really hungry yet. Get in and we can all go together in an hour or so. What do you say?" He suggested with his arms in the air and Demi on his back.

"Yeah come on guys, that'll be so much more fun and the water is great" Demi pressed on with her thumbs up and very convincing big smile.

"Oh what the hell, let's go. Hold on tight Miles" He held onto her legs and started making his way to the pool.

"What? No wait. I'm still in my clothes and oh my god. Joseph stop it, stop!" Miley was screaming all the way to the pool. She managed to throw her purse off before he made the jump and they hit the water. "God, why do you hate me so much?" She screamed out when she reached the surface. She was pushing her blonde locks out of her face and when she could clearly see, Nate was in front of her with a goofy smile on his face.

"Hey gorgeous" He said cutely, his eyes twinkling when he saw her smile back at him.

"Hey there handsome, how are you doing?" she whispered huskily as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She was feeling all giddy inside and kind of overjoyed because she felt like she was going to burst. His goofy smile and deep brown eyes were making her head spin and her heart race. Let's not even start about his wet curls and his oh so kissable lips. Speaking _off…_ she thought while her eyes travelled down to them. She licked her lips unconsciously and she noticed how his goofy smile turned into a smirk. She found the strength to tore her gaze away from his lips and move her eyes back to his brown ones. "What? What are you smirking at?" She heard Demi and Joe's laughter and bantering faintly in the background

"At you" He said simply, still showing the smirk.

"At me? What about me?" She was genuinely confused about what was so funny, it definitely came because she was still enchanted by how great he looks but she wasn't going to admit that.

"Oh nothing, just how easy it is to make you swoon because of my good looks" He wiggled his brows and received a slap on the back of his head "Ouch Miley"

"I do not swoon Nate Lucas, understood?"

"Understood" He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him "Now kiss me because you're looking incredibly sexy" He leaned into her for a kiss.

"You're taking the words right out of my mouth" She whispered and she pressed their lips together in a kiss. It started off slow and sweet but after a certain amount if time it turned heated and hands were roaming everywhere and it was really, really amazing.

"Awe, aren't they cute?" Demi cooed and she leaned her head against Joe's chest. Her arms were loosely around her neck and her fingers laced in his hair.

"I know" He turned to look at her and he nuzzled their noses together "But so are we" He gently pressed her against the side of the pool and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

* * *

"Are you ready?" Nate looked to the left where Miley was standing and he held on tightly to his shopping cart.

Miley pulled Joe's baseball hat off his head and placed it on her own, backwards "Shit's about to go down Nathan Lucas"

Joe glanced over at Demi a bit scared but she just shrugged her shoulder "Uh guys, it's just a game you know. No serious business, you won't push me into something right?" He held on to the sides of the shopping cart where he was sitting in and Miley was pushing.

"Don't be such a baby Joseph, this is going to be fun" Demi kept her eyes straight forward and was happy to see that the aisles were almost all empty "We're going to win this thing Nate" She also held on to the side of the shopping cart she was sitting and Nate was pushing. "Okay guys, ready"

Miley squinted her eyes at Nate before looking ahead also.

"Set"

"Oh my god, I am going to die today" Joe complained when he saw how competitive they all looked.

"Go" Demi screamed out and before she could hold on even better they were already racing trough the supermarket. "Go in here! In here Nate, in here" She pointed to the aisle on her right and cheered when he did.

Joe was getting the hang out of it and he relaxed a bit while they were racing trough the supermarket "Miles, you see that turn coming up, you got to make it" He spoke hurriedly because they were coming closer and closer by the second.

"I got it" She started slowing down, but since Joe is pretty heavy for her and she was wearing slippery shoes, she let out a gasp when she lost her grip on the shopping cart and sent it, with Joe still inside off it, straight into a pile of toilet paper "Oh my god, Joe, I'm sorry are you okay?"

Joe let out a groan and placed his hand on the back off his head where it was hurting "I'm fine" He managed to get himself out of the pile and he grabbed Miley's hand and he started running towards the exit. "Shit, we need to run"

Demi and Nate heard the commotion so Nate drove them back to Miley and Joe when he saw them running away. He frowned at that but he suddenly realized what was going on when he saw the manager of the place making his way over to them "Demi, run" He quickly helped her out of the shopping cart and together they sprinted towards the exit, right behind Miley and Joe. He grabbed his car keys out of his pants and unlocked it "Get in, get in, let's go, let's go" He repeated constantly. They all got in and he quickly drove away from the parking space right when the manager was out of the store, raising his fist at them.

Miley opened the windows and looked back at him "We're sorry" She screamed at him and when she was back in the car with her head it was silent for a moment. All you could hear were heavy breaths from the running they did. That silence soon came to an end when Demi opened her mouth and her laugh that sounds like a chicken rolled over her lips. Miley always thought that Demi had a laugh from another universe. It only took a matter of seconds before they all joined it, eventually it got so bad that Nate had to pull over.

"Oh my god, guys, that was so freaking awesome" Demi breathed out while wiping away the tears that were streaming down her face. "But we seriously need to get stuff for dinner tonight so we have to find another supermarket and go in with only **one** shopping cart for the four of us and we have to behave"

"Awe, come on Dems, you're no fun" Nate chuckled and he started the car up again.

"No Demi's right, I'm getting hungry guys and you all know how cranky I get when I'm hungry" Miley said in a sing song voice.

"You heard her Nate, drive" Joe immediately said while patting Nate's arm.

After about five minutes of driving around they found another supermarket "Finally" Miley exclaimed and they all got out of the car together. They were about to walk inside when her phone rang "Oh, I'll take this and meet you guys inside okay?"

Nate nodded and kissed her cheek "Ok" He walked inside with Joe and Demi.

"This is Miley speaking" Miley said when she had picked up.

_"Hey Miley, it's me Casey" _

Miley parted her lips in surprise and she laced her fingers trough her hair "Oh hi" She turned around and looked trough the glass to search for Nate "Do you want to talk to Nate? It's strange he didn't answer his phone it was in his pocket the whole time" She lifted her hand to call him over but she stopped herself when Casey spoke again.

_"Oh no, no, I talked to him yesterday. I was just checking up on you. You must think this is weird, I'm sorry. I should probably hang up" _

Miley figured that she was doing this because of Emily. Nate told her that whenever they were away for the weekend or anything she would always call the both of them just to check up. So Miley didn't mind at all, in fact she found it amazing that Casey thought about doing this. She lowered herself down on the curb and sat down on her butt "No, no, it's okay. I like talking to you Mrs. Lucas"

_"It's Casey, Miley"_

"Right, it's nice that you're calling Casey. Everything's going all right. We're just at the supermarket to get some dinner for tonight and things for the rest of the week. We arrived about three hours ago, the house is great. Joe's brother has a pool and a huge grill and they have a fireplace and everything is so beautiful"

_"It sounds all good, maybe you can show me some pictures when you get back"_

"Yeah, I'd love to show them. So how is your day going?" Miley kicked a stone away with her shoe and stared down at the ground to avoid the sun from hitting on her face. A small smile was on her face because she was truly enjoying talking to her. Casey has become a sort mother for her, which is great because sometimes she misses her mom quite a lot and it's good to have someone like Casey around for those moments.

_"My day has been going great. David and I went out together this afternoon. We haven't done that in a while so that was fun. And right now I'm making dinner, and oh, your father is coming over for dinner. I invited him so he didn't have to eat alone, the poor man"_

"You invited my father for dinner?" Miley cooed and she decided to get up again "I think that's awesome. That's really nice of you Casey, thank you"

_"Well, it was actually David's idea but I was happy to agree. Oh, I have to go, your father just arrived"_

"All right, that's okay. You guys have a nice time and we'll talk later"

_"Yeah?"_

"Yeah, I'd like that" She smiled big and started making her way into the supermarket "Bye Casey"

_"Bye Miley, have fun" _

Miley hung up and skipped her way over to the others "Hello awesome people"

"Hey, is everything good?" Demi asked while she placed a few bags of chips into the cart.

Miley nodded and laced her fingers with Nate "Everything's good" She confirmed.

Demi smiled at her and they continued walking, picking stuff they needed here and there "Good, so I was thinking. Maybe we should all take a shower and then start on dinner? We all smell like pool"

"Demi, you can't smell like pool. You can only smell like the chlorine that is in the pool" Nate chuckled a bit.

"Oh hush, it's practically the same thing" Demi waved his comment away and got quickly distracted by her favourite pop tarts that she saw "This is heaven, I'm in complete heaven. Do you guys see this? Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts. My life has been officially made, oh my god" She grabbed the pack and pulled it close to her "Get in my belly" She giggled to herself.

* * *

Demi stepped out of the bathroom with a towel covering her body. They came back from the supermarket about ten minutes ago and they all jumped in the shower. The window was open a bit, a soft summer breeze was blowing inside the room and she could hear the music from her iPod softly in the background. She looked out of the window and saw Nate firing up the grill while Miley was sitting in one of the lounge chairs. Her hair was still wet from her shower and she had a notebook in her hands while she was penning away highly concentrating. A soft smile was tugging on Demi's face as she closed the curtains so she could change. She closed her eyes in delight when she felt Joe wrap his arms around her from behind and pressed a kiss on the side of her neck. She hadn't heard the water turn off so she was quite a bit surprised "What was that for?" She whispered breathless.

"What? I can't randomly kiss my girlfriend?" Joe retorted and he gently turned her around so he could look at her. He pushed a strand of her still wet hair behind her ear and leaned forward, placing a kiss on her jaw.

"You can, you can it's just that" She swallowed a lump down her throat and she was about to continue but she got silenced when Joe softly pecked her lips "Oh" She chocked out and she could feel her heart beat faster when he pulled her in for another enchanting kiss. She let her hands slowly make their way down his broad chest and to his masculine back, pulling him closer to him.

Joe smiled in the kiss and he moved his hands to her legs, hitching her leg around his waist "God, you're so" He murmured against her lips but then he pulled back to look her in the eyes as he slowly made his way to their bed "Amazing" He left butterfly kissed down her neck after he had lied her down and hovered above her.

Demi had to contain herself from tearing his towel off and do stuff to him all night long. So she bit down her bottom lip hard when his lips reached her chest and she arched her back when his fingertips moved his way up her thighs "Oh" She lowly moaned "Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe" She breathed out hastily. She moved her hands over his bare chest and pushed him off a bit "I can't" She tried to find the right words but she was still hypnotized by what was happening a few seconds ago. "We can't uhm, shoot what did I want to say?" She blurred out embarrassed and her cheeks flushed red.

Joe chuckled lowly and leaned his head on her shoulder as he tried to muffle his chuckles "I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you but with you" He whispered when he succeeded in muffling his chuckles.

"Oh shut up" She laced her fingers trough her locks and let out a huff "Can you…" Her voice trailed off and she wiggled under him, trying to get him to move.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, of course" He moved off her and grabbed her free hand in his, looking at her with a soft smile on his face "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's just, I can't have sex with you. Not now. I mean I just really want it to be special you know since we never" She stumbled over her words and let go of his hands so she could cover her face in embarrassment.

"Babe, babe" Joe sat up and waited until she would uncover her face "Look at me, it's fine" His heart jumped when she moved a few of her fingers and she peeked trough them with her adorable big brown eyes.

"Really?" When she saw him nod she uncovered her face completely and smiled uncertain "I'm sorry I just, I don't know. You're so great and you're" Her eyes travelled down to his towel around his waist and she could feel her cheeks heat up again "You know, you're pretty" Her voice trailed off and she giggled nervously.

Joe blushed a bit himself and he scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, uhm, you're not a virgin are you? I'm just wondering you know, you don't need to answer if you don't want to"

"No, I don't mind" She sat up too and took his hand in hers "I think we should be open about this. I'm not a virgin. It was with Shane Adams at this party and I was still trying to get over you and it was a complete mess. I was just lying there and it was wobbly and weird and I just wanted to go home. I mean, it's supposed to feel nice right?"

"I, I guess so. I'm not a virgin either but it was with Selena and that was pretty meaningless so" He exaggerated the 'so' and smiled dorky at her. "Yeah"

Demi let out a breath and smiled back at him "So how about we get dressed and get on with the food because I am seriously hungry"

"Yeah, and Miley and Nate must be waiting for us" They got off the bed together and walked to their bags to pick out clothes to wear.

* * *

Nate placed a few burgers on the grill and pressed on them before looking up at Miley who had her eyes closed and her head tilted back to feel the warmth of the sun, who would be setting in a few minutes. His lips went dry when he noticed how calm and content she looked. She was sitting in the lounge chair Indian style and a notebook in her lap. He wondered what she was writing down but he figured that it was personal so he suppressed his curiosity. She was wearing his Nirvana shirt and for a split second he remembered Emily in that shirt. He quickly blinked his eyes and the image was gone as soon as it came. He took a deep breath and focused his attention back on the grill and at that was the moment when Demi and Joe walked in.

"You guys took your time" Miley opened her eyes and wiggled her brows at them with a grin on her face. She closed her notebook and stuck her tongue out at Joe who ruffled her hair "I was just saying" She made room for Demi to sit on the lunge chair with her and she smiled at her, waiting for Joe to walk to Nate before she spoke up "But no seriously, what took you so long? Did you guys had" She got interrupted by Demi.

"No" she immediately said while shaking her head "No but we were going to I guess, but we ended up talking about it instead and it was nice" She nodded as to confirm her words and puckered her lips.

"So what about you and Nate have you guys talked about it? Does he know that you're a virgin? He obviously isn't since at first he thought that Lucy's baby was his." Demi fired Miley with question.

Miley widened her eyes and shook her head "No, we haven't talked about it. I, well, we just told each other that we love each other and I haven't really thought about it you know. I think I'm kind of old fashioned when I say that you should only have sex with someone you love, for sure. So, no, he doesn't know, but we'll talk about it when we feel like we want to I guess" Miley simply answered and shrugging her shoulder.

"I'm so jealous off how easy you just said that. I was freaking out and stuttering and blushing and it was so embarrassing" Demi blushed again when she thought back to it.

"And would you look at that" She gestured towards Joe who was goofing around with Nate "He didn't run away screaming like a little girl, like he would've done a few years ago. He grew up, which is good for your relationship. You should be proud of your man Dems" Miley patted her knee and got up from the lounge chair "Let's go join them" She extended her hand to help Demi up and together they walked to the guys "Well that looks delicious" She let go of Demi's arms and stood behind Nate. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and let her hands travel over his abs for a few seconds.

Nate looked down at her over his shoulders with a grin on his face "Well thank you" He turned back to the grill and flipped the burgers.

"The sun is setting" Joe announced and the four of them all stared at it in awe "Do you know what that means?" He looked at everyone and they absently shook their heads still taken in because of the beautiful sunset "It means that we need to start up a fire and eat around it. What better way then that to end the day?"

Demi clapped her hands together in enthusiasm "That's a great idea, I will be making us a salad" She pecked Joe's cheek sweetly and practically skipped her way back inside the house and to the kitchen.

"I'll be getting the wood" Joe smiled brightly at Nate and Miley and walked his way to the shed where his brother kept the wood.

Miley followed his movements and put her thumbs up when he turned to look back at him, she smiled when she received a wink from him. She placed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and bit her bottom lip, turning around to face Nate "Hey"

Nate frowned a bit, since she has been standing next to him for the past couple of minutes, but he still answered anyway "Hi"

"How was your day?" She asked him while stuffing her hands in the pockets of her jeans shorts.

"Uhm, it's really nice that you're asking, but you were there so what are you exactly doing if I may ask?" He looked down at her with curious eyes, wondering where this was going and what her point was in doing it.

"I don't know, I'm just wondering if you're okay. You're like a closed book, you can go from grinning from ear to ear to moping around and you won't tell what's going on. So how was your day?" She shrugged her shoulders lightly and looked up at him trough her lashes "You don't have to answer if you don't want to…" Her voice trailed off and she bit down her bottom lip again.

"I do" He placed the burgers on a plate and took a deep breath, turning back to face her "My day was great, I didn't wake up next to you but I hope I will tomorrow morning. Joe and I had breakfast together and checked out. Then we met up with you guys and drove here to the awesome house of Joe's brother. We goofed around in the pool in the supermarket, at the beach and everything. And now I'm firing up the grill and Demi's making a salad which I hope is good enough to eat and Joe's making a fire for us and everything's good" He put his hands on her hips and drew her closer to him "So that was that. How was your day beautiful?"

Miley smiled up at him and moved her arms around him "Practically the same, but your mom also called me today"

Nate lifted his brows in surprised and he wasn't able to normally form words for a few seconds before he eventually responded "My mom called you? What for, what did she say?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, she just called to check up. Oh, and to tell me that she and your dad were going to have dinner with my dad so he didn't have to eat alone, that was very nice to hear. Your mom is a real sweetheart Nate"

"I know she is" Nate agreed almost immediately with a nod "She is" He repeated quietly and he pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head "Are you okay?"

"Missing dad a bit but I'll leave him a call tomorrow. Other then that, I'm great" She pulled back and kissed his cheek. She turned around when she heard Demi calling her from the kitchen.

"Miles get your bony ass over here. I need you to taste this" She stirred the salad around in the bowl and looked trough the window to see if she was coming or not. She smiled when she saw her best friend running towards the house and she picked out a piece of salad on a fork so she could hand it over to her "Here, try this" She placed the fork in Miley's hand and impatiently waited for her response.

Miley placed a hand over her chest and patted Demi's arm "I need a napkin" She squeaked out and when Demi handed her the napkin she spit it out in it "That was truly disgusting"

Demi gasped and glared at her "What? You're joking! You better be Miley Ray" She warned with her pointer finger.

Miley wiped her mouth and shook her head "I'm not, I'm sorry"

Demi took a deep breath and pouted while looking down at her salad "Are you positive that it's disgusting?"

Miley covered her mouth intend to keep her giggles in but she failed miserably "No, but I am completely positive that I just joked about it and you believed be right away" She burst out into a fit off giggles as she watched Demi face turn to realization.

"Miley Ray, you are so dead" Demi screamed out and she started chasing her around the kitchen "Miley, that is not fair, I would never do that to you"

"Yes you would, we both now that I'm horrible at making food in general" Miley ran away from her, still giggling. Deciding that she was getting dizzy from running circles around the kitchen island she sprinted to the living room and out into the backyard where Joe and Nate were looking at them with amused faces. "Oh my god" She slowed her pace down a bit, trying to catch a breath when she felt ice cold water wetting her close. She gasped and turned around to see her best friend with a smirk on her face and a jug of water in her hand "Demetria Devonne"

"Uh" She lifted her finger to stop her from talking "We're even now" She turned around with a satisfied grin on her face and she walked back inside the kitchen to grab her salad.

Joe shared a look with Nate before they both burst out into laughter "Oh wow that was priceless"

Miley turned around to face them with a glare on her face "Zip it" She hissed trough her teeth and looked down at her wet shirt that was sticking onto her body "Now I've got to go inside to get a new shirt"

"Here have mine" Joe pulled his over his head and threw it over to Miley. He placed his hands on his hips and tilted his head in the air "I'll just stand here, looking beautiful" He flexed his muscles and he heard laughter coming from beside him "Hey, what are you laughing at?"

Demi walked outside and saw him too "Because it's cute" She giggled and she placed the bowl of salad on the table.

"Excuse me, this is not cute." He motioned to his body and walked over to the table "I'm like a freaking sex god with good style" He pointed to Miley who had changed into his shirt. "See? Doesn't she look awesome in **my** shirt?"

"I think you should shut up now dude" Nate chuckled and he placed the burgers on the table, sitting down next to Miley "Some people want to eat"

"Fine, you guys just don't appreciate me and my hot body" He pulled out a chair and sat down with a pout on his face.

"You're the worst" Demi pointed out and she leaned in towards him "But I love you and all of your awesome flaws" She pecked his lips and smiled.

"Thank you babe" Joe retorted and he stuck his tongue out to Miley and Nate "I love you too" He wrapped his arms around her and looked at Nate and Miley again "Now lets eat"

"Bon appetite!"

* * *

**_I'm sorry if there are any mistakes._**

**_Let me know what you think!_**


	17. Fun In The Suburbs II

Fun in the suburbs Part II

**_Sometimes I can't believe it_**

**_I'm movin' past the feeling_**

**_Sometimes I can't believe it_**

**_I'm movin' past the feeling and into the night_**

**_So can you understand?_**

**_Why I want a daughter while I'm still young_**

**_I wanna hold her hand_**

**_And show her some beauty_**

**_Before all this damage is done_**

**_Arcade Fire – The Suburbs_**

* * *

Miley was drawing figures on Nate's chest the following morning. She woke up way too early for her liking and she could hear faint noises coming from downstairs so she figured Demi and Joe were already up as well. But Nate wasn't, so she watched as his chest slowly rose and fell each time he took a breath, she watched as he scrounged his nose and twitched his lips. She stilled her movements and she softly smiled when he lifted his hand and started rubbing his eyes, waking up. "Hey" She whispered softly and her smile turned brighter when he peeked an eye open and noticed she was looking.

"Well, hi" He responded and he cleared his throat since he was still sounding sleepy. "Look at you" He spoke up after they stared into each other's eyes for a bit "You look gorgeous"

"Thank you" She slowly rolled on top of him and grabbed his wrists pulling them over his head "You look pretty handsome yourself" She leaned down and placed soft kiss on his lips.

"Why thank you" He looked at her with a grin on his face "This is nice, waking up like this" He closed his arms around her waist and this time he leaned up to kiss her. He had decided that nothing could top off waking up next to the person you love. Her blue piercing eyes staring at him when he wakes up, her soft smile and her looking up to him trough her lashes when she whispers good morning. He hummed contently into the kiss and when she leaned back to pull away, he leaned up with her because really, he couldn't get enough of her plump lips. His heart skipped a beat when she giggled and he pulled back.

"You're pretty great Nathan Lucas" She leaned down and rested her head on his chest. She blindly went on the search for his hand and she softly smiled when he entwined their fingers. She closed her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat "I'm glad to have you in my life"

He kissed the top of her head "And I didn't know it was possible to feel such strong feelings for a person"

They stayed silent for a while until Miley smelled something and she immediately sat up. "Okay, I'm extremely comfortable like this but I'm seriously hungry"

Nate chuckled and nodded while sitting up as well "Great minds think alike. Let's go" He kissed her forehead and he pulled a shirt over his head while Miley quickly stepped into some shorts before they made their way down the stairs together.

"See? Didn't I tell you they would come?" Joe grinned up at Miley and Nate who just walked inside the kitchen.

"Morning love bugs, did you sleep well?" Demi questioned and she opened her arms for Miley who was walking up to her for a hug.

"It was great, I can't remember the last time I actually woke up fully rested" She rubbed her back and pulled back with a smile on her face. She walked over to Joe and picked up a fork that was lying on the counter and picked a piece of the scrambled eggs with bacon he made.

"Hey" Joe gasped and tried slapping her hand away but she quickly ran over to Nate so he could protect her "Come on Miles, it's almost ready"

She giggled and looked at him trough her lashes while settling herself on Nate's lap. She took the bite and with her free hand she laced her fingers with Nate's "Oh my god, Joe, you've done it again. Seriously amazing"

His annoyance from when she stole part of the food ebbed away and a goofy grin made place on his face "Well thank you"

Demi tapped her fingers on the counter and raised her brow when her phone started ringing. She looked around trying to remember when it was and she gasped when she saw that Joe picked it up – since it was lying next to him on the counter – she jumped up from the barstool she was sitting on and tried to get her phone back.

"Oh hey Owen" Joe said back after Demi's mother handed the phone to Owen so he could talk to his sister.

Demi stopped trying when she found out it was her little brother and she smiled "Come on, what are you doing? Let me talk to my little brother" She stretched her arm and kissed Joe on his cheek after he had said goodbye to Owen and handed the phone to her "Thank you love" She placed her phone on her ear and walked out of the room "Hey bud, how are you doing?"

"Awe, she's the best big sister ever" Miley smiled at her best friend before looking at Nate and she patted his curls. She giggled as it bounced back up "I love your hair" She whispered as she looked down into his eyes.

"And I love you. All of you" He replied with a cheeky grin, his hands on her waist to keep her from falling of his lap.

"Well aren't you cheesy" She grinned back and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a soft kiss.

Joe smiled at the happy couple and separated the breakfast that he made on four plates. He looked to his side when Demi placed her phone on the counter about five minutes later and she wrapped her arms around him from behind "Hey is everything all right?"

"Yeah, he was so enthusiastic because he was going to the playground with Amelia so he asked mom if it was okay to call me because he wanted to share it with me" She smiled brightly and looked up at Joe when he turned around in her arms "Look at me, I have the most amazing friends, brother and boyfriend" She breathed out contently "It's nice"

He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled back at her "I'm happy you're happy" He placed a peck on her nose.

She giggled as she leaned back from him, looking around him to Nate and Miley who were whispering to each other "Breakfast is served"

* * *

Spread out over the living room floor with The Smiths playing on the background and a bottle of wine by their sides. Miley turned her head to look at Demi who had her eyes closed but a content smile tugging on her lips. The boys were somewhere around the house doing god knows what. They went up to take a shower but that was about an hour ago so she figured they were in the game room. Looking away from Demi and back up to the ceiling she bit her bottom lip "Selena and I have been texting. I asked her how she was doing" Her voice trailed off and she turned to look at Demi again who was now facing her "She said she was lonely" She lowered her eyes to the carpet where they were lying on "I don't want that for her Dems"

Demi let out a sigh and tilted her head in the search for Miley's hand. When she found it she laced their fingers together and looked her in the eyes "You are too good for this world Miley Stewart"

Miley knitted her brows together at that "What do you mean? Are you saying she doesn't deserve my sympathy?"

Demi shrugged her shoulders lightly and moved her eyes to the ceiling "That's something only you can decide and you're doing the right thing, I guess. I'm just saying that I wouldn't be able to do the same in your circumstances. I mean, Selena and I are civil now, I think, but we've also never been friends and I don't think I'll ever see us being that"

Miley let go of her hand and leaned on her elbows as she pushed herself up "Demi, you don't have to be friends with her if you don't want to. I won't force you into going to lunch with us if we will ever do stuff like that again. I would be asking for the two of you to be civil but since you already are" Her voice trailed off and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Well" Demi started and she looked at her with a grin on her face "Now that that's cleared up, let's dance" She lifted herself of the ground and rummaged trough her bag that she had thrown on the couch earlier. She picked out one of the mix CD's that Joe made for her and put it in the stereo.

Miley gasped and clapped her hands together when she heard the first tones of Swing Swing by The All American Rejects "I haven't heard this song in ages" She got surprised when Demi grabbed her hands and swayed her around the living room. Miley didn't even notice when the guys walked inside the living room, she was way too busy with screaming along with the lyrics, laughing at Demi's silly moves and her tripping over her own feet. It was only then, when she heard laughter coming from the living room entrance, that she looked up and saw Nate and Joe "Hey guys" She giggled.

Nate walked over to her, shaking his head laughing and he extended his hands so he could help her up "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just clumsy that's all" She brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear when she was back on her feet again and grinned at Nate who was still laughing "Hey, come on" She swatted his chest.

"All right, all right" He put his hands up in defence "I'm sorry" He bit his bottom lip and stopped laughing.

"Thank you" She turned to Demi and Joe and smiled "So what's up?"

"We were thinking about going out for lunch? We can drive to Manhattan which is about an half hour away" Joe suggested and as soon as he said Manhattan he shook his head when Miley and Demi glanced at each other and started jumping. He glanced at Nate while rolling his eyes.

Nate shrugged it off with a smile on his face "Okay, you guys are obviously not driving"

"We only had a little bit to drink" Demi said while eyeing the bottle of wine that was still standing on the carpet "And we're just happy, today is a good day my friends" She wrapped her arm around Nate "To the car we go!" She pointed towards the front door and marched over there with Nate.

Miley quickly gathered Demi's bag, placed her own wallet and the stuff that she needed in it and together with Joe they walked out of the house "Please tell me you know a great record store in Manhattan"

Joe puckered his lips as he thought about it and eventually he nodded "Yes, you're going to love it there" He opened the door of the passenger seat and got in, buckling up his seatbelt. He opened the dashboard and took out the GPS system, searching for Manhattan.

Nate started the engine and placed his sunglasses over his eyes "Everyone ready?" When they all replied he nodded and moved the car out of the driveway. He smiled at Joe after he gave him the GPS and he looked at the instructions. "All right, here we go"

* * *

Nate held on to Miley's thighs and pulled her up a bit so she wouldn't slide of his back.

"Thank you babe" Miley pressed a kiss on his cheek and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck again. She looked around and smiled at the little shops and at the people smiling at them as a happy couple. "Nate we have to come back here, it's so awesome"

"Sure, so do you want to move here after high school?" He questioned jokingly as he continued walking over the pavement with Miley on his back.

"Nah, not move here, maybe we can get a vacation home" She breathed out with a smile on her face and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "You know, so our kids would have a nice place to grow up" It was quite funny actually. She had no idea where her thoughts were coming from. She and Nate are the kind of couple who live day by day. They have never really spoken about what would happen with them in the future and if it's going to be **their** future. But now that she was thinking about it. She wouldn't mind having a future with him and she wouldn't mind owning a vacation home in the suburbs of New York. She never looked at herself as a mom but ever since she lost her own she felt like she wanted to experience it herself, that unconditional love and the happiness that came with being a family. She was happy as a little kid, how great would it be to raise a little one who will later hopefully have the same thoughts. And how cute would they look with Nate's curls and his cute eyes. She held on a little tighter to Nate. She never expected that she would fall in love with someone as deep and passionate as she fell for Nate. It was scary but also so exciting.

Nate noticed the quite serious tone in her words and that caught him by surprise. They never talked about what is going to happen in the future. But it made him smile that she's thinking about that kind of stuff. It made him smile that she's not tired off him and his sometime brooding moods. "That would be awesome yeah, so, a boy and a girl?"

"A boy and a girl sounds great" She grinned and she snuggled her nose in the nape of his neck "We should be getting started baby daddy" She whispered jokingly.

He threw his head back chuckling and he stopped walking "You're amazing"

"You're pretty amazing too Nate" She slid of his back so she could stand in front of him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, looking up at him "I love you" She chanted.

"I love you too" He leaned down and softly kissed her on her lips. "But" He started when they pulled back "As much as I love the idea of having a little you and a little me skipping around, let's wait. I want to be sure I'll be able to support you"

"Well aren't you the best man on earth" She cooed with twinkling eyes. It was absolutely ridiculous. Here they where in Manhattan with Demi and Joe and all of a sudden they just start planning things out of nowhere. Sure she wants kids, but not know, she's seventeen – almost eighteen – and he's eighteen and thought he was going to be a father only months ago.

But it's nice to know that they share the same thoughts. She smiled when he kissed her again and she pulled back, thinking and knowing that Nate is the one. He has to be. She doesn't believe that there is any other guy out there in the world that could fit even better with her, or that there's another guy out there that can make her happier. People saying that she's too young to understand love, are talking absolute crap. She doesn't want to be wasting any time. She knows what she feels and it feels right to her and that is what matters. She leaned her head against his broad chest as she looked around the street "Hey, where are Demi and Joe?"

Nate took his sunglasses off and stood on his toes to try to look over the crowd that was walking on the pavement "Oh, there they are" He pointed to the couple who were standing in front of a window of a shop. They walked over to them together "Hey, we thought we lost you"

"Oh, well here we are. We saw something nice to give to Jason and Danielle as a" Demi's voice trailed off when she finally looked at the couple next to her. They all looked at her confused as to why she stopped talking but she ignored the looks. "What's going on?" She questioned a bit uncertain.

"What do you mean, what's going on?" Miley asked confused. Demi was giving her a very weird look but with a smile on her face.

"I can't be the only one to see it" She quickly glanced at Joe "Look at them, they're beaming"

Joe looked at his two best friends and indeed found them both beaming "You guys are radiant." He rose his brows "Dude, did you propose or something?"

Demi gasped and covered her mouth looking at the couple wide eyed "Did you?"

Nate shook his head and squeezed Miley's hand "No, we just talked about… stuff"

"What kind of stuff?" Demi urged, curiously.

"You know… the future" Miley admitted with a blush and she hid her face on Nate's chest when both Demi and Joe awed.

"So you guys are pretty serious huh?" Joe was grinning from ear to ear. There's nothing more that he wanted for his two best friends then happiness. They are great together, just like he and Demi are.

"Pretty much" Miley looked up at Nate with a bright smile on her face and tippy toed so she could place a kiss on his lips.

"Let's get some coffee" Demi suggested.

"What about the gift for Danielle and Jason?" Joe wondered.

"Oh, we can get it when we go back home right? That way we won't have to carry it around the whole time" She laced their fingers together and when he nodded to her suggestion they continued their walk. "Guys, this is so much fun. We need to come back here one day"

Nate nodded and smiled down at Miley "That's what we were saying earlier" His smile left his face though when he saw her frantically looking around. He furrowed his brows together and wondered what she was looking for "Is everything okay?"

Miley couldn't exactly describe what was happening to her but all of a sudden she was alert to everything that was going around her. It was the same feeling she had when she was sleeping over at Selena's and it was the first time that her mother had to go to the hospital. She remembered waking up in the middle of the night and she had to shake Selena awake. Just like now, she was alert and a throbbing pain was filling her chest, and then her phone rang.

_"Dad" Miley cried out over the phone while holding on tightly to Selena's hand._

_"What are you doing up so late?" Greg breathed out. He was trying to be calm while climbing into the ambulance after his wife._

_"Is it mom?" When he didn't say anything she burst out in tears "It's mom isn't it"?_

_Greg hid his face in his hands and tried to blink back the tears that had formed "It's going to be all right hunny" _

_"Which hospital is it?" Miley got out of Selena bed and managed to smile at her trough her tears as she was already getting sweaters for them to wear so they could leave._

When Miley snapped out of her thoughts, Demi was standing right in front of her, urging her to look at her. Her hands were on her shoulders as she looked at her with her wide brown eyes "What?"

Demi frowned at her best friend and tried to keep her focused "Miley, you need to relax, you're breathing isn't normal at the moment" She swallowed a lump down her throat in concern but she was glad when she saw Miley focusing on her breathing "Good, now you need to tell me what's going"

"Something's wrong Demi" She looked around again, hoping that it was something that was happening around her and not to someone close to her "Something's terribly wrong and I" Her voice trailed off and she widened her eyes when she thought about something "Oh my god, my father" She wanted to pull her phone out of her pocket when it started ringing before she would reach it. She closed her eyes tightly "I can't pick it up" She squeezed Nate's hand – which was still in hers – and she opened her eyes again when she felt someone take her phone out of her pocket.

Joe raised his brows at the caller ID. He noticed that they were all watching him, wondering if the call was going to give them answers. He was freaking out, wondering why the hospital was calling Miley but he knew he had to stay calm for Miley's sake. So he finally picked up and put the phone on his ear. He let out a deep breath before speaking up "Hello, Miley's phone"

**_"Hello, this is Doctor Lane, is Miley around?" _**

Joe bit down his bottom lip as he looked up at Miley who was staring back at her curious and concerned "Can you" He started but she extended her hand, asking for her phone back "Yeah, she's here" He whispered softly and he handed her her phone back.

"This is Miley speaking" She kept her eyes fixated on Demi as she spoke. She was smiling warmly at her and that made her feel a little better, or at least until she heard the words on the other end of the line.

_Miley's phone just rang and she thought about letting it ring but it could be the hospital so she picked up trying to sound calm "Hello" After she heard the news that they told her she let her phone fall on the ground and she broke down crying even more. She was right, it was the hospital._

**_"Miley, it's your father" _**

_Demi just reached her and fell on her knees next to her "Miley? Miley what happened sweetie?" _

"Miley?" Nate whispered, getting scared by the look that she just pulled. His heart was beating like a drum. It was going so fast that it felt as it was trying to make it's way over to the person beside him, who owned a part of it. He wanted to comfort her, he just didn't know how. He swallowed a lump down his throat when she held on tightly to his hand.

**_"I'm sorry"_**

_She grabbed a hold of Demi's sweater and held on for dear life while she cried in her chest "My mom, she's gone" She looked up with a tear stained face, she saw that Demi had also start crying "She lost the battle"_

Miley let a sob escape her lips and she let go of Nate's hand "Demi" She whimpered and it was only a matter of seconds before she was in her arms. She clutched on to her shirt, afraid about what was going to happen next. What was she going to do now?

Joe's heart shattered at the sight of his best friend in tears. His eyes crossed with Demi's, she had tears in them. He shook his head trying to get his thoughts figured "Miles" He placed his hand on her back and he weakly smiled when she looked up at him "Where do we have to go? We'll go right now"

Miley wiped her nose and sniffed as she slowly pulled back from Demi "I uhm" She bit her bottom lip and laced her fingers trough her locks "We uhm, need to get out stuff and we have to get to the hospital at"

Joe interrupted her by placing a hand on her shoulder and giving a comforting squeeze "None of that, I'll drive back later for our stuff when everything's quieted down. We'll get going right now"

She nodded and pulled him in a hug "Thank you" She mumbled gratefully.

"Everything for my little sister" He kissed the top of her head "We should get going" He pulled back.

Miley turned round to Nate and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him as close s possible "Nate, I'm scared" She admitted after sniffing once again.

"It's going to be okay. I promise" He pulled back a bit so he could look at her and he moved a strand of her hair behind her ear "We're here for you" He kissed her forehead sweetly and eyed Joe who motioned that they had to get going "Let's go see how he's doing okay?" He had no idea what was going on with Greg when Miley grabbed his hand and placed her other on his arm. The only one who knew what was going on with Miley but since they're all in a state of shock there wasn't much talking about it when they made it to the car. Joe was the one who got behind the wheel while he and Miley got in the backseat. He knew that she was keeping her feelings in, she wasn't okay and he knew it. So when he whispered that it was okay for her to let it go, the rest of the drive was from Joe, Demi and Nate sending worried glances to each other while Miley silently cried on his chest until she fell asleep.

* * *

**I'm so sorry if there are any mistakes. And I am sorry for ruining the happy moments but this is something that needs to happen in order to bring this story where I want it to end. Thank you for your lovely feedback, know that it makes me smile every time : )**


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